


Hearts With(out) Chains

by purplehairedwonder



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29204889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplehairedwonder/pseuds/purplehairedwonder
Summary: Law is reclaimed by the Family when he's 17 and, with Doflamingo holding the lives of his crew as collateral for his good behavior, eventually becomes the third Corazon. Years later, trapped by his impossible situation, Law can't help but resent Monkey D. Luffy for offering a glimpse of something he's repeatedly had ripped away from him: hope.
Relationships: Donquixote Doflamingo & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Heart Pirates & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Monkey D. Luffy & Trafalgar D. Water Law
Comments: 104
Kudos: 80





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I'm taking my turn at the Corazon!Law AU because my brain won't leave me alone until this is written down. Tags will be updated as the chapters come out.
> 
> The story title is based on the Ellie Goulding song "Hearts Without Chains."

Law meandered down the street, the docked _Polar Tang_ and the setting sun at his back and his hands stuffed in his pockets, to meet Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin for dinner. The island they’d docked at to refuel and restock wasn’t a major port by any means, but it had enough of a commercial district that the four teens had been able to find the food and supplies that they needed.

They had split up into pairs to tackle their supply lists, with Law and Bepo covering food and medical supplies while Shachi and Penguin had stayed in the small port to secure fuel and have a mechanic give the _Tang_ a once-over. Once the necessities had been procured and dropped off at the ship, the four went their separate ways for a few hours of shore leave before planning to meet for dinner.

Law, for his part, had spent most of his time in the local bookstore, browsing for new medical texts to add to his growing collection as he continued his education as ship’s doctor. After making a few purchases, he’d ended up staying on the _Tang_ , reading one of his new books until it was time to meet the other three.

Since leaving Swallow Island a year earlier—officially the Heart Pirates, complete with Jolly Roger and everything—Law had been unable to shake the feeling of eyes between his shoulder blades whenever the _Tang_ surfaced or docked. Though Doflamingo had been named a Warlord and had recently taken over the throne of a kingdom in the New World while Law’s crew remained in the North Blue, he knew his old boss had eyes everywhere. When they weren’t submerged, he couldn’t help looking to the sky or over his shoulder for a telltale flash of pink. The other three knew some of the history there—they’d witnessed enough of his nightmares that he’d eventually filled in some of the gaps—but they could never fully understand Law’s anxiousness at surfacing when sailing underwater provided the safest passage.

Law shook his head, his shoulders slumping further as he walked. The source of his nightmares was four years buried in the snow and halfway across the world. His friends were constantly trying to get him to lighten up and drop his paranoia—and Law supposed they had a point, not that he’d admit that to them. Though those three years on Swallow Island had provided a measure of stability Law hadn’t felt since before Lami had collapsed at the festival, he hadn’t been able to shake the restlessness under his skin, the feeling of unfinished business that haunted him, so had jumped at the chance to set sail.

Once he reached the town, Law headed right for the inn they'd decided to meet at, having noted its location earlier when he’d gone to the bookstore. He opened the door and stepped inside, looking around to see if any of the other three had arrived yet. He froze, immediately sensing that something was _off_. There were diners at about half the tables, but it took Law a moment to realize that none of them were eating or drinking. In fact, none of them were talking or moving at all. A heavy silence weighed the room down.

Swallowing, Law scanned the room, his gaze coming to rest on Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo at a table in the center of the room—odd, as they usually opted for corner tables to avoid notice. And they were all sitting on the same side of the table, facing the door.

Facing Law.

Alarm bells rang in Law’s head as he noticed Shachi’s and Penguin’s pale features and wide eyes as they met Law’s gaze. Bepo’s hackles were up. None of them had moved as Law entered. Law opened his mouth, but words died ashy on his tongue as the figure sitting across from them rose to his impossibly tall height and turned, pink feather coat swishing with the movement.

_No…_

Doflamingo grinned. “Law,” he crooned, throwing his arms out wide. “It’s so good to see you, my boy.”

Law was frozen to the spot, terror warring with rage as his heart pounded in his chest. His throat constricted. He couldn’t be here. He was supposed to be in Dressrosa in the New World, not at a small-town inn on a no-name island in the North Blue.

Law wasn’t ready to face him yet.

“What, no greeting for your boss after all this time?” Doflamingo lifted a finger, and strings wrapped around Law’s arms and chest, pulling him forward into the arms of his nightmare. Law stiffened as Doflamingo’s arms surrounded him.

After an agonizingly long moment, Doflamingo let Law go and stepped back, hands still on Law’s shoulders as he looked the teen up and down, drinking him in. Law fought the urge to fidget.

“It does my heart good to see you alive and healthy, Law.” A large hand cupped his chin and turned his face so Doflamingo could examine him. “No spots. You truly cured yourself of the incurable.”

Law swallowed as the hand dropped from his face. “W-why are you here?” he finally managed, hating the shakiness to his voice.

Doflamingo looked surprised at the question. “For you, of course.” He gestured back towards Law’s friends. “I was just getting acquainted with the rest of your crew. Come, sit.”

Law was given no choice in the matter, as the strings around his upper body pulled him to the free chair adjacent to both Doflamingo and the other three. Law awkwardly sat, and the strings fell away once he’d settled himself. Law blinked in surprise. A show of good faith?

He glanced at Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo and saw the naked fear in their eyes. The man in front of them was a Warlord and far more powerful than any of them. It was one thing to hear Law talk about Doflamingo; it was another entirely to face the man in person. He nodded minutely to them before turning his attention back to Doflamingo.

“How did you know I was here?” he asked, pleased that his voice had steadied. He tried not to think about the other people in the room who would overhear the entire conversation since they were being prevented from speaking. He could only concentrate on the danger directly in front of him.

Doflamingo waved a hand toward the bar before leaning back in his chair. “I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground for any news of the Ope Ope no Mi since you disappeared, Law. Imagine my surprise when, about a year ago, rumors started spreading about a young pirate in the North Blue using that very Fruit.”

That was exactly what Law had been worried about. He’d just hoped Doflamingo’s new status as Warlord and king would keep him too busy to come back to the North Blue.

The bartender came forward jerkily, clearly controlled by strings, with a decanter of wine. She poured a glass for Doflamingo and set the bottle down on the table before retreating. The clang of the glass on the wooden table echoed through the eerily quiet dining room.

“I confess, it was difficult getting eyes on that intriguing ship of yours,” Doflamingo went on, unconcerned with—or, more likely, enjoying—the room’s mood, “but I have my ways.”

“And you came personally?”

“Of course.” Doflamingo leaned forward, his large frame encroaching on Law’s space without even trying. He picked up the glass and took a long draught of wine before speaking once more. “After four years, don’t you think it’s time to come home, Law? It’s time to take your rightful place back with the Family.”

Law wanted to snarl that he knew how Doflamingo treated his family, that he knew what the man _really_ wanted him for, that he’d never return to the Family after Minion Island—but the presence of his friends stayed his tongue. Doflamingo didn’t know that Law had heard his exchange with Cora-san that night, and something told Law it should stay that way, so he kept his features neutral.

“Why now?”

Doflamingo’s grin turned sharp. “I need the best at my side to rule. It was no idle promise to train you to become my second-in-command. The Heart seat waits for you, Law.”

Law’s breath hitched at the reference to the seat Cora-san had held. The seat that was empty because Doflamingo had killed Cora-san for saving Law. The seat that Cora-san tried to protect Law from taking, though Law hadn’t realized exactly what Cora-san was protecting him from until it was too late. If Law went back to the Family now, Cora-san’s sacrifice would have been for nothing.

Doflamingo was eyeing Law, and Law realized he’d clenched his hands into fists. He dropped them into his lap, and when he opened his hands, they revealed bloody, crescent-shaped wounds on his palms.

“And,” Law asked slowly, “if I were to say no?”

The atmosphere at the table, already tense, curdled at Law’s words. It was as though the temperature had suddenly dropped as Doflamingo replied, “That would be… unwise.” The man’s grip on his wine glass tightened dangerously.

Law clenched his jaw but said nothing, eyes boring a hole into the table in front of him. He could feel his friends practically vibrating in their anxiety next to him.

“Why,” the low voice continued, “would you refuse to return to your Family, Law?”

“Maybe there’s a reason I never came back,” Law ground out.

Law jumped in spite of himself at the sound of shattering glass. He whipped his gaze over to see wine spilled over Doflamingo’s hand and glass shards scattered across the table and floor.

“My brother,” Doflamingo growled, flicking wine from his fingers. “It seems I was right to worry that he poisoned your mind.”

“Cora-san _saved_ me,” Law hissed, long-held rage uncurling in his chest and refusing to be suppressed when faced with its target. “I am alive today because of him.”

“He was a traitor, and he took you from where you belong,” Doflamingo retorted coldly as the bartender returned with rags and a broom and dustpan. She was shaking as she cleaned up the spilled wine around the tense gathering at the center of the captive room. Once the mess was cleaned up, Doflamingo dismissed her with a wave of his hand, never once looking at her.

“It’s time to come home, Law.”

His frigid tone brooked no argument, but Law had never been particularly good at taking orders. He opened his mouth, but Doflamingo cut him off with a lifted finger and three gasps. Law’s gaze flew to his friends, and his eyes widened. Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo each had a single string looped around his neck.

 _Fuck._ Law knew that string could kill his friends before he could form a Room to protect them. Doflamingo would follow through with his threat, too. Law had seen it happen many times in his time with the Family.

“I told you, defying me would be unwise, Law.”

“They have nothing to do with this.”

“You were the one to bring them into this,” Doflamingo countered. “When you made them part of your crew.”

Law’s mind spun, running through one scenario after another but not coming up with one that didn’t end with his friends dead or him reclaimed by the Family—or both. After several tense moments, Law’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

“If I return with you, they will be unharmed?”

“Law, n—” Penguin’s objection was cut off by the tightening of the string, drawing blood. He grimaced, and Law shook his head. The danger his friends were in now was entirely Law’s fault. If going back to the Family could save them, then he’d do what he had to.

“If you do as you are told, they will be unharmed,” Doflamingo agreed.

Law took a breath, eyes shutting briefly as the fight went out of him. “Fine.”

“What’s that?” Now the bastard was just gloating.

“I’ll come,” Law gritted out. “Now let them go.”

The strings fell away from Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo’s throats, and they let out relieved breaths. The tightness in Law’s chest loosened the tiniest bit at the sight, though mostly he just felt hollow as what he’d agreed to started to sink in.

“Excellent. We leave for Dressrosa in the morning.” Doflamingo’s lips twitched. “I have an eternal pose for Dressrosa you four can use.”

Law jerked his gaze back to Doflamingo. “What? No. That wasn’t the agreement. I agreed to come back to the Family, so let them go.”

“The agreement,” Doflamingo corrected, “was that as long as you do what you’re told, Law, your friends will be unharmed.”

Law’s stomach sank as he realized the trap he’d walked into in his emotional state. He’d just damned Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo along with himself.

“Consider their lives collateral for your good behavior.” He turned to the other three, who were watching the exchange in shock. “Welcome to the Donquixote Pirates.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/caitlin_kelly11) and [Tumblr](https://purplehairedwonder.tumblr.com/).


	2. I

_Seven Years Later_

Law grumbled to himself as he wound his way through Grove 1 toward Doffy’s auction house. He disliked being sent on errands like this, but he had little choice in the matter. His grip tightened on Kikoku as he glanced behind him to see Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo following a half step behind him. He nodded and kept moving. He was here to do a job, after all.

Sabaody was particularly lively today, with the presence of the so-called Supernovas, ten super rookies with bounties over 100,000,000 berries. Law had never had a bounty of his own, as he’d been the subordinate of a Warlord since he was 17, though he’d often wondered what it might have been had Doflamingo not found him that day in the North Blue.

Though, he supposed, it didn’t really matter. His position had earned him a certain amount of infamy, even without a bounty.

Shachi had the wanted poster for each Supernova, keeping an eye out for any information to be had. Law’s crew had proven itself adept at intel gathering over the years, so they were often sent on such missions. Though today’s job wasn’t reconnaissance, that didn’t mean there weren’t any rumors to dig up while in the lawless zones of Sabaody—especially with such interesting figures on hand. Getting a preview of the next generation of pirates to enter the New World could be valuable.

As they moved in the direction of the auction house, Shachi pointed out some of the Supernova, including X Drake from the North Blue and Mad Monk Urouge. Law took note of each one with passing interest; while they might seem impressive after making their way through Paradise, he doubted most of them would last in the New World. Over the years, many rookies had made their names before arriving at Sabaody only to fall quite spectacularly in the second half of the Grand Line. Law had learned to keep his expectations low and had thus stopped paying so much attention to the rookies until they did something to earn the attention.

Penguin threw Law a confused look as they headed for the front door of the auction house rather than the back entrance, but Law shook the other man off. Penguin shrugged and followed his lead; these three had been dealing with his moods since he was a teenager, so this was hardly anything new. The guards at the auction house gaped as they approached, scrambling to greet them.

“C-corazon!” one stammered as another grabbed the door. “We didn’t know to expect you today!”

“Please, come in! Should we get Disco for you?”

Law waved them off. “No need. And no need to tell Disco-ya I’m here either. I’ll find him after business is done for the day.” Law couldn’t stand the slaver and wanted to spend as little time in his presence as possible.

“Of course.”

The guards bowed Law, Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo into the auction house. Law took a seat toward the back, draping his arms over the back of the bench, the others filling in around him. He handed Kikoku to Bepo, who took the nodachi without a word, and casually surveyed the room. When the Celestial Dragons waltzed in, Law ground his teeth but said nothing. It wasn’t part of his mission today.

“Well, well, well,” a gravelly voice said from behind Law. “It looks like there are some big names here today. First Celestial Dragons and now the second-in-command of the Donquixote Pirates. I’ve heard some nasty rumors about you, Corazon.”

Law turned his head to see a ragtag group of pirates standing at the back of the auction house. The redhead in the garish pants was clearly the leader; he stood out front of the others and exuded arrogance.

“Eustass ‘Captain’ Kid,” Shachi murmured. “He has the highest bounty of all the Supernova. His first mate, Killer, is also on the list.”

Law considered this then proceeded to flip the rookie captain off, smirking, before looking away. He heard Eustass laugh.

“Shit manners though.”

“Politeness won’t get you far in the New World, Eustass-ya,” Law said without looking back. The New World tended to humble people like Eustass Kid, Law knew from experience.

“Yeah?” Eustass had stepped down to stand adjacent to Law’s row of seats. “I suppose you’d know all about the New World, working for a government dog.”

Law glanced his way but turned his attention back to the empty stage. Petty taunts rolled off him; he’d heard far worse over the years, often from his own Family.

“What, nothing to say?”

Law rolled his eyes. “I’m busy.”

Eustass snorted. “You look it.”

Law nodded toward the stage. “You see the Jolly Roger on the wall there? If you know who I am, then you know who owns this place.” He gave Eustass an unimpressed look. “I’m here on business.”

Whatever Eustass was going to say was drowned out as the emcee took to the stage to introduce Disco and begin the auction. Baring a few teeth, Law made a shooing motion at Eustass to dismiss him. The rookie captain growled lowly but headed back to his crew to observe.

“Was that a good idea?” Bepo asked, glancing at the rookie crew and back toward Law.

Law shrugged, unconcerned. “He’ll be missing a heart before he can try anything.” And maybe a few other limbs. Being around the slave trade put Law in a foul mood, and an outlet would be welcome. The sooner the auction ended, the sooner Law could find Disco and finish his job.

Law paid little attention to the auction until Disco brought out a pirate who bit off his own tongue, choosing death over slavery. The scene was bloody and the auction house descended into horror, but Law couldn’t blame the poor son of a bitch; he briefly considered the day Doffy had found him and his own terror at being reclaimed by the Family. What would have happened if he’d tried a stunt like that?

Doffy probably would have stitched his tongue back together with his Fruit and then taken out Law’s disobedience on Bepo, Shachi, or Penguin. He had made it clear over the last seven years that neither would Law be the architect of his own death nor would he get out of the Family again so easily.

 _The weak do not choose how they die_ , he thought with distaste before turning his thoughts back to the present.

The auction was briefly back on track when Disco brought out a mermaid, but the room fell into utter chaos once another Supernova (Monkey D. Luffy, Shachi noted amidst the confusion) came blasting through the wall… and then proceeded to punch one of the Celestial Dragons in the face.

Now _that_ might be deserving of attention, Law thought with no little amusement before noticing Disco fleeing from the stage. As the Straw Hats jumped into action against the guards and the occupants of the auction house fled for the front door, Law knew he couldn’t put his task off any longer. He grabbed Kikoku from Bepo, the only warning to his crew that he was on the move.

He opened a Room and switched places with the podium on the stage, moving the moment his feet hit the wood in pursuit of the slaver and auctioneer. The chaos behind him barely registered as he followed the man backstage. He jogged past guards running toward the stage. He knew he got a few open stares, but he ignored them now that he was on the hunt for his prey. His status meant no one would dare stop him here anyway.

Law stopped at the door to what seemed to be Disco’s office. The man stood at his desk and was fumbling with a Den Den Mushi.

“No need to call Joker, Disco-ya,” Law said, leaning against the doorway.

Disco jerked badly, the snail slipping from his fingers and clattering to the desk. He whirled around. “Corazon?” he squeaked. “What are you doing here?” Then he seemed to collect himself. “Shouldn’t you be helping get the situation under control? This _is_ Joker’s operation.”

Law shrugged, uninterested. “I’m here with a message from Doflamingo, not to clean up your messes.”

Disco paled. “W-what kind of message couldn’t he send over Den Den Mushi?”

Law lifted his free hand and opened a Room.

Disco gaped like a fish out of water at the small blue dome encompassing him. “P-please, no! Corazon! I’ve been loyal! I’ve done everything Joker asked of me.”

“And he’s grateful for your cooperation,” Law replied, straightening. He withdrew Kikoku from her sheath, the sword humming in anticipation. “But he’s decided it’s time to move on to newer ventures.”

“N-newer ventures?” The auctioneer couldn’t pull his eyes from the nodachi in Law’s hand.

“Nothing for you to worry about, Disco-ya. It’s just business.”

The man’s scream was drowned out by the rest of the chaos in the auction house.

* * *

Returning from his completed errand at a more leisurely pace, Law paused as he felt a wave of Conqueror’s Haki rush through the auction house, causing his skin to prickle, followed a few moments later by an explosion. He frowned. Who was on hand that could use _that_? Could one of those Supernova…?

He hurried back to the stage to see the auction house guards unconscious. The only people standing were the Straw Hats—more of whom had appeared while Law was taking care of his task—the Kid Pirates, Law’s own crew, and…

“Dark King Rayleigh,” Law said, lips lifting in a smirk. The Family’s spies had put the man on the island, though he was running a ship coating business these days—when he wasn’t gambling. Law wasn’t expecting to run into the living legend, though.

The older man, mermaid on his back, turned back toward the stage. His eyes landed on Law, and he raised an eyebrow. With a quick Room and Shambles, Law switched places with the podium and was once more standing with his crew.

“Whoa!” Straw Hat Luffy gaped. “That was so cool! And what’s up with the bear?”

“What?” Bepo started.

Rayleigh simply turned his gaze to Law’s new position. “Now, now. Don’t use that name when so many Marines are around. Not all of us have immunity from the government.”

“Luffy,” a female voice said. Law glanced to see Nico Robin, the Demon Child, standing near the Straw Hat captain. She was eyeing him warily. “That’s Corazon. He’s the second-in-command of the Donquixote Family. Be careful.”

“Donquixote? The Warlord?” the one with the long nose squawked.

“See the Jolly Roger on the wall?” Nico Robin said. “This auction house is owned by Donquixote Doflamingo.”

The gathered pirates looked between the symbol on the wall and the damage throughout the building before turning to Law, stances turning defensive.

Law raised his hands. “I’m not interested in a fight.” He’d done what he’d come here to do. He was ready to get off this shithole of an island, even if that meant returning to Dressrosa. “But you all might want to get moving. The whole place is surrounded by Marines.”

“Marines?”

“They surrounded the place not long after the auction started,” Law replied. “I don’t know who they were here to catch, but the attack on a family of Celestial Dragons only riled them up more.” He couldn’t help his lips turning upward at that. “I’d recommend leaving before an admiral arrives.”

“What about you?” Straw Hat asked.

Law shrugged and gestured to himself and his crew. “Government dogs, remember?”

Eustass snorted and turned toward the door. “Well, I have no interest in facing an admiral today. I did get to see Straw Hat Luffy pull some crazy shit, though, so I’m satisfied.” He threw a hand up in a wave. “We’ll even lend you guys a hand and clean up outside on our way out.”

Law snickered as it was clear Straw Hat Luffy took that as a personal affront, immediately following the other pirate, voice rising in indignation. He watched as the remaining members sighed long-sufferingly and trailed their captain. Law received a few more suspicious looks as the pirates and their friends passed him, but Law had no intention of getting involved—fighting against the Marines was against the rules for the Warlords and their subordinates, after all.

It wasn’t long before Law could hear gunfire and yelling coming from outside the auction house. He thought he could make out the sound of gleeful laughter as well.

Law’s lips curled upward in spite of himself. “Monkey D. Luffy, huh?”

_Another D, Cora-san…_

Law turned back to Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo. They were watching him curiously.

Law frowned at them. “What?”

“Nothing,” Penguin said immediately.

Law narrowed his eyes. “Out with it.”

The trio was saved from having to answer when Law’s Den Den Mushi started ringing. Law sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course _he_ would be checking in for an update. Law pulled the snail from his pocket and answered, knowing how the man got when Law took too long to answer.

“Doffy.”

_“Corazon. Is the job done?”_

Law blinked at the immediate question. Doffy was usually chattier when he called; it was one of Law’s least favorite things about him—among many least favorite things. “Yes. Disco-ya’s no longer a concern.”

_“Good. Don’t set sail yet, though. I need you to stay on Sabaody for now.”_

Law grimaced. “For what?”

_“You may be needed in Marineford soon.”_

Law glanced at the other three, bemused. They shrugged in return. “Why?”

A snort. _“Haven’t you seen the paper?”_

“I’ve been a bit busy with the errand you sent me on,” Law replied irritably.

_“The Marines have set Fire Fist’s execution. They’re summoning all the Warlords to be there.”_

Law felt his stomach drop as the implications hit him. There were some hissed breaths to his side as the others came to the same conclusion Law had.

“Do they _want_ a war?”

 _“Seems that way.”_ Unsurprisingly, Doffy sounded practically giddy at that. He was a warmonger and profiteer, after all. _“Which is why I may need you.”_

“Right,” he said blandly. A war between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates was exactly the last thing he wanted to get pulled into.

 _“Corazon.”_ Doflamingo’s voice had a warning edge to it.

Law pursed his lips but knew better than to argue. “We’ll stay on Sabaody and be ready to sail.”

_“Better.”_

Once the call ended, Law sighed and dropped the snail back into his pocket. “Guess we’re not leaving after all.”

“This is going to be ugly, isn’t it?” Penguin asked.

“No doubt.” Law rubbed a hand over his face before looking toward the auction house entrance. “Sounds like things have quieted down. Let’s head out.”

When the four reached the entrance, Law let out a surprised huff as he surveyed the scene. There was mass chaos, as Marines were littered across the ground as well as rushing around the help the wounded. The Straw Hat and Kid Pirates seemed to have already fled, though.

“Looks like the rookies did some damage,” Law chuckled. “Not bad.”

A few Marines looked up to see them and yelled, scrabbling for their weapons. “More pirates coming from the auction house!”

“Stand down, idiots!” one of the commanders called back. “They’re with Donquixote. Leave them alone.”

Law’s eye twitched at that, but he didn’t argue as he led Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo down the steps. He paused at the sight of a large slave left abandoned outside the house. After a moment, Law blinked; he knew this man.

“Pirate captain Jean Bart,” he greeted.

The large man looked down at him, startled. “It’s been a long time since anyone’s called me that.”

“It would be a shame to leave a man like you in shackles,” Law said, forming a Room and using Kikoku to slice through the collar around Jean Bart’s neck. It fell to the ground with a harmless clank.

Jean Bart put a hand to his neck, eyes wide in disbelief. “How?”

“Devil Fruit,” Law replied simply, making a small Room in his palm before letting it go.

“Why? They,” Jean Bart said, nodding back toward the Marines, “said you work for Donquixote Doflamingo.” Or, Law translated, they said you work for one of the biggest names in the slave trade.

“It’s complicated,” Penguin said.

“That, and I’m happy to fuck over the Celestial Dragons in any way I can,” Law replied with a shrug. He glanced around, noting the Marines gaping at him for daring to free a Celestial Dragon’s slave. He saluted them with a smirk before turning back to Jean Bart. “If I were you, I’d get out of here quickly; shit’s about to get ugly.”

“You don’t want me to serve under you in return for my freedom?” After all, why free him if not to get something in return?

“You wouldn’t be much freer under me than here.”

The former captain frowned at him. “You don’t serve Doflamingo willingly?”

“Like we said, it’s complicated,” Shachi added.

Jean Bart looked between them. “I see no collars on your necks, no man riding on your back. Nothing could be worse than that.” He shook his head. “I have nothing but the rags on my back. My crew is either dead or enslaved. My family is long dead. Where would I go?” He swallowed. “If you’d have me, I’d serve under a man who would free a slave that others ignored and gladly taunt the Celestial Dragons to do it.”

Law glanced back at Shachi, Bepo, and Penguin. They looked back at him steadily, as if to say, _Your choice, Captain._

Law’s crew—though they were part of the Donquixote Pirates, their original name of Heart Pirates had stuck as a nickname among the Family considering Law held the Heart seat—had grown from the original four Doflamingo had taken from the North Blue, but Law was always hesitant to bring on anyone new considering Doflamingo’s use of his crew to assure Law’s good behavior. Somehow, he’d still found a loyal group who willingly followed him despite his warnings to the contrary; he had no idea what he’d done to deserve them.

“All right,” Law said finally. “Let’s get back to the ship.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/caitlin_kelly11) and [Tumblr](https://purplehairedwonder.tumblr.com/).


	3. II

Law stared out over the Calm Belt, the forbidden land of Amazon Lily at his back. His crew puttered about around him, regularly complaining about not being able to go further onto the Isle of Women. Law, for his part, had bigger concerns; despite being on the Calm Belt and in the territory of another Warlord, he still half-expected the familiar sails of one of Doflamingo’s ships to appear on the horizon.

The aged straw hat in his grip felt fragile somehow—like its owner currently was—as Law absently turned it over, the crackling of the woven straw grounding him in a way he couldn’t explain. He wasn’t sure why, but he hadn’t let it out of his sight since it had been thrown his way as the _Polar Tang_ prepared to dive in its escape.

It had been two weeks since Law had rescued Straw Hat Luffy from the battlefield of Marineford; the boy was still unconscious, though Law suspected that was more to do with his spirit than his body at this point. Though Straw Hat’s recovery still had a long way to go, Law felt confident he would survive—physically, anyway. Immediately after the surgery, Law would have given his chances at, optimistically, fifty-fifty, but each day his heart continued to beat in his repaired chest improved his odds.

As for when he’d wake up, well… the teen had suffered an immense trauma, his body falling into unconsciousness as a defense mechanism before Law had even arrived. The emotional pain of losing his brother wasn’t something Law could do anything for. (He was hardly the poster boy for healthy coping mechanisms anyway.)

And so, an entire island waited with bated breath.

The more stable Straw Hat’s condition became, the less Law needed to monitor him, which gave him more time to think; according to his crew, that was never a good thing. They were probably right. Law still had no idea how to explain his actions to Doflamingo. He knew neither he nor his crew would escape this unscathed, but Law found himself contemplating how to minimize the inevitable punishment.

On the day of the execution, Law and his crew had waited aboard the _Tang_ at Sabaody in case Doflamingo called for them, watching the broadcast in the meantime. The moment Straw Hat Luffy had burst onto the battlefield, something had startled in Law’s chest. The revelation that he was not only Fire Fist’s brother but also the son of Dragon had sent shockwaves through the entire archipelago, but as Straw Hat fought for his brother’s life, all Law could think of was that middle initial he’d taken note of at the auction house.

Monkey D. Luffy.

 _“There have often been people who have the name D. who gained public notoriety, and old people would frown and mutter, ‘D. will surely bring us another storm,’”_ Cora-san had told him. “ _And in some places, there are people who call the Family of D. sworn enemy of the gods.”_

There was one specific “god” that Law very much wanted to take down, though he was in no position to do so himself.

But maybe…

Well, a storm sure seemed to describe a boy who would punch a Celestial Dragon in the face for harming one of his friends, damn the consequences, and would fight every single Marine, if necessary, to rescue his adopted brother from execution.

And when the broadcast of the battle was cut, the feeling in Law’s chest turned into a tug so insistent that he’d ordered his crew to set sail for Marineford.

_“Did Doflamingo call for us, Captain?” Penguin asked once they had submerged._

_“No.”_

_Penguin shot him a confused look. “Then why…?”_

But Law hadn’t been able to explain the feeling in his chest, the absolute _certainty_ that he was needed there, until the broadcast returned, and the Hearts watched Fire Fist fall and Straw Hat mortally wounded.

Law knew he’d drawn attention once the _Polar Tang_ surfaced, undoubtedly looking like reinforcements for the Marines as the second-in-command of the Donquixote Pirates, but then he’d called for that idiot clown to give Straw Hat to him—and it had taken less convincing than it probably should have for him to throw Jimbei and Straw Hat down to the _Tang_. (Coward.) Law had no idea how anyone else, particularly Doflamingo, had reacted, as he’d been hyper-focused on getting his patients below deck with that tug in his chest demanding he _act_. The arrival of Red Hair had given them room to escape.

Other than removing Amber Lead from his body as a dying teenager who’d only had his Devil Fruit for a few days, the surgery to save Straw Hat was the most difficult of Law’s life. Operating for sixteen hours with Room activated nearly the entire time had completely drained Law—two weeks later, and he was still feeling the effects, his Rooms flickering out quickly when he summoned them—but he knew somehow that nothing less would satisfy the pull in his chest, whatever it was.

Though he would have liked nothing more than to sleep for days afterward, the presence of a Marine ship when the _Polar Tang_ surfaced had forced him to stumble onto the deck and meet the wary eye of Boa Hancock. As he approached the door, he could hear her asking his crew about Straw Hat’s condition.

_“I’ve done all I can,” Law said, wiping his hands on a towel as he came out on deck, willing himself upright in the face of another Warlord. “He was in bad shape. It’s up to him and his will to survive now.” He suppressed a grimace as he considered the damage he’d repaired in the boy’s chest. It was a miracle he was still alive by the time Law had gotten to him._

_Hancock eyed him, her expression suspicious. It probably should have concerned him, having her full attention like that, but he was too tired to care._

_“And why did you help him?” Her eyes narrowed. “Is this another one of Doflamingo’s plots? What does he want with Luffy?”_

_“I acted on my own.”_

_“Why?” That was Emporio Ivankov, who’d jumped down from the Marine vessel. Law, long past the point of wondering where these people were coming from, idly marveled at Straw Hat Luffy having friends like a current_ and _former Warlord and a high-ranking Revolutionary (in addition to a father_ leading _the Revolutionaries) that they would track Law to check on his condition but pushed it aside for another time. “Are you a friend of Straw Hat Boy?”_

_“No.” Law frowned. He might not be a believer anymore, but he’d been raised with religion and those teachings had never fully left him. The pull in his chest had felt like a sign—something the sisters at school would have said was important to follow. But these people didn’t need to know that. “It was a whim, nothing more.”_

_“A whim,” Hancock echoed flatly._

_But Ivankov chuckled knowingly in a way that made Law feel transparent somehow. “Sometimes instinct drives us to do unexpected things.”_

Despite her—entirely appropriate, Law knew—misgivings at working alongside the second-in-command of another Warlord, Hancock had brought the Hearts to Amazon Lily, leaving Straw Hat’s treatment in Law’s hands. It was likely Jimbei’s presence that gave Hancock any peace of mind at Law’s presence.

Law looked up when he heard a light cough. He shook himself as Jimbei came up next to him; he’d been so caught up in his reverie, he hadn’t noticed the former Warlord’s approach.

“May I sit?”

Law grunted, which Jimbei took as acquiescence. He sat down and allowed silence settle between them before breaking it.

“Will you be in trouble with your boss for helping Luffy?” he asked.

Law’s eye twitched. “I fail to see how that’s any of your concern.”

“I was thrown in Impel Down for refusing to fight alongside the other Warlords at Marineford,” Jimbei said. “The World Government won’t appreciate another Warlord’s second-in-command rescuing two enemies out from under their nose.”

Law found his grip tightening around the straw hat in his hand and loosened his fingers. Jimbei hadn’t said anything Law didn’t already know. “What is your point, Jimbei-ya?”

“Doflamingo won’t be pleased.”

“Unlikely,” Law agreed.

“But you will return to him.” It wasn’t a question.

Law looked out toward the _Tang_ , where the boy still slept. “When Straw Hat-ya is well enough, yes.”

“Is that a good idea?”

Law huffed a humorless laugh, returning his gaze to Jimbei. “Whether it’s a good idea or not is irrelevant. When Straw Hat-ya no longer requires my care, I will return to Dressrosa and my captain.” He knew better than anyone that there would be consequences for his actions—and that he had no choice but to face them.

Though he knew there would be consequences for what he’d done, it was Doffy’s silence over the last two weeks that left Law the most off-balance. He’d expected the man to bombard Law with calls, if not follow Law himself; the Calm Belt would be little more than an inconvenience in the face of what he wanted.

But there had been nothing.

He supposed this was one of Doflamingo’s mind games. He would force Law to reach out to him first, to crawl back to him, draped in repentance. Doflamingo undoubtedly felt secure in Law’s eventual return because he forced Law to leave at least three members of his crew behind whenever he went out on a mission. Currently, Ikkaku, Clione, and Uni were back in Dressrosa. Law had felt comfortable leaving them since he’d expected the trip to Sabaody to be quick, an errand he could handle with minimal backup. That had been nearly a month ago. And Doflamingo was right; Law wouldn’t abandon his nakama, so even if he went dark for weeks, the Warlord could be confident his second _would_ return.

Law just hoped those three hadn’t already been punished for his actions.

Jimbei frowned and opened his mouth to say more, but he was interrupted by a banshee scream coming from the _Polar Tang_.

“Ace!”

In mere moments, Straw Hat had somehow escaped the infirmary on the _Tang_ (Law tried not to think about what he would find when he boarded his ship again) and made his way to land. As Straw Hat rampaged through the camp, Law caught a look at his face and flinched. The wide-eyed, glassy expression of grief over a pain too great to process was one Law was intimately familiar with; he’d worn it himself, first after Flevance and again after Cora-san.

“Where’s Ace?”

Law’s crew chased after the raging teen, trying to calm him down. Law exchanged looks with Jimbei.

“What’ll happen if we just leave him like that?” Jimbei asked as Straw Hat threw off Law’s crewmates and stormed further inland.

Law sighed, weariness hitting him square in the chest. “It’s simple. If he reopens his wounds, he could die.”

Jimbei grimaced and pushed himself to his feet. “I’ll go.”

“Your wounds could also reopen,” Law pointed out. Not that anyone seemed to care about his professional opinion.

“Better me than him.”

Law blinked at Jimbei’s back as the former Warlord followed Straw Hat’s path. He shook his head, once more wondering at the allies Straw Hat found himself with, and turned away. He continued looking out over the water, clenching his jaw at the sounds of Straw Hat’s rampage in the forest. He suppressed the urge to cover his ears, the pained sounds echoing through him and digging at Law’s own shallowly buried grief.

Eventually, the cacophony faded out, leaving the cliffside eerily quiet. His crew started moving around once more, though they were subdued in the wake of what they’d just witnessed.

“What the hell is that?” Shachi said suddenly, pointing out over the water.

Law frowned. There was some kind of commotion in the bay. What the hell?

“Is that a Sea King?” Penguin asked, joining Shachi.

“Is something _fighting_ it?” Shachi yelped as Bepo and Jean Bart came up behind him.

The commotion came to an end almost as quickly as it started. One moment, the beast was thrashing violently, the next it was still.

“It’s dead,” Jean Bart murmured. “What could do that in the Calm Belt?”

There was a splash just below the cliff. Looked like they were going to find out. Law readied himself to make a Room—it wouldn’t be as big as usual and wouldn’t last long, but it would be _something_ —but dropped his hand as Silvers Rayleigh climbed over the ledge, dripping water. Law watched the man warily as he explained that he’d _swum_ through the Calm Belt. Monster.

Eventually, Rayleigh’s gaze turned back to Law. “You’ve created quite the stir, saving Luffy like that.” He smiled, though there was something in his eyes that made Law straighten. “Luffy _is_ here, right?”

“I doubt you would have come all this way unless you knew the answer to that question already, Rayleigh-ya,” Law replied.

Rayleigh chuckled. “Fair enough. How is he?”

Law studied the older pirate for a moment then made a decision. “He just woke up. He’s still in rough shape; he’ll need to rest for at least two more weeks so his wounds close properly.” The grief, on the other hand, would take much longer to heal, but Law left that unsaid. Someone like Rayleigh would know that well.

Rayleigh nodded thoughtfully. “But his life is out of danger?”

“As long as he lets his wounds close, yes.”

“Good.”

Law’s lips twitched. “I take it we’re being dismissed, Rayleigh-ya?”

Rayleigh outright laughed at that. “Well, that’s not how I would have put it.”

“But you’re here to take over,” Law surmised.

“I’m here to offer Luffy a proposal.”

“And you expect him to accept. I get it.” Law pushed himself to his feet and closed the gap with Rayleigh. He held out the straw hat.

Rayleigh’s expression turned distant for a moment before he came back to himself and took the proffered object with understanding.

“Two weeks,” Law reiterated. “If he pushes it, he could die.” And Law didn’t want the danger he’d selfishly put his crew into to be for nothing.

* * *

Once the _Polar Tang_ had set sail, Bepo setting their course based on their eternal pose to Dressrosa, Law grabbed the long-range Den Den Mushi and retreated to his cabin. He placed it on his desk and stared at it as he debated how to approach the call. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, but he started when there was a knock at his door.

“Captain?”

Law’s shoulder’s slumped at Bepo’s voice. “Come in,” he replied.

The door opened, revealing Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin. The trio filed into Law’s room, shutting the door behind them. Law swiveled in his desk chair to face them.

“Calling him?” Shachi asked, gesturing at the snail.

Law nodded. “Can’t put it off any longer.”

“What will you say?” Bepo asked.

Law’s mouth moved but nothing came out. He shook his head. “I don’t know,” he finally admitted. “I caused him a lot of trouble, and he’s going to be furious. But he won’t take it out on me.” Not all of it, anyway.

“We’re with you, Law.”

Law blinked at the use of his given name; he was so used to hearing his title, even from his crew, that his name sounded odd even to his own ears. It made the already-tight ball of guilt in his chest clench.

“I made a selfish choice, and now you guys are going to pay for it. I’m sorry.”

“Why did you save him?” Bepo asked. There was no judgment in his oldest friend’s eyes, just curiosity and trust.

“It was…” Law cast about the best way to describe the tug in his chest because if anyone deserved the truth, it was these three. “It was just a feeling,” he finally settled on. It sounded lame to his own ears as he said it. “I don’t know how to explain it. Like something was telling me it was important.”

The other three exchanged looks, and Law felt his stomach drop. It wasn’t good enough, not for the danger he’d put them in…

“Okay,” Bepo said after a moment.

“Okay?” Law echoed, taken aback.

“Okay,” Penguin confirmed.

“If you thought it was important, then we trust you,” Shachi added. “You’re our captain, Doflamingo be damned.”

“The others feel the same,” Penguin added. “We’ll be okay, Captain. Whatever happens.”

Fuck. What had Law done to deserve them?

Once the trio left his cabin, Law turned back to the Den Den Mushi on his desk. He took a breath and dialed the familiar number. It rang longer than Law expected, but he knew this was another of Doffy’s games, making sure Law would stay on the line—as though he didn’t have the ultimate bargaining chip for Law’s loyalty already. Finally, the other man picked up.

_“Well, well. If it isn’t the prodigal son. I was starting to worry, Corazon.”_

“My apologies, Young Master,” Law replied, deciding deferential was his best tone at the moment. “I called as soon as I was able.”

Doflamingo snorted. _“I’m sure you did._ ” In other words, he knew Law was lying, but he didn’t care enough to challenge the lie. “ _Where are you?”_ he asked instead.

“En route to Dressrosa,” Law said, debating how much to reveal of his whereabouts for the last two weeks. Would Hancock reveal Law had been there? Doflamingo would be furious if he heard it from her first. On the other hand… Law decided to err on the side of sharing as little as possible; it made the most sense for Hancock to keep Straw Hat’s presence a secret, as allying—or even appearing to ally—with a rival pirate crew was enough to cost a Warlord their status. “We should be there within the week.”

_“And Dragon’s son?”_

“Alive. As is Jimbei.” No point in lying about that.

Doflamingo made an impressed sound. _“Straw Hat took direct hits from Kizaru_ and _Sakazuki, and you were able to save him? I should really stop being surprised by your abilities after all these years, Corazon.”_

Law hummed in response, recognizing the trap in Doflamingo’s words. Nothing he could say here would turn out well for him, whether he accepted the praise or demurred; no response was his best option.

 _“As impressive as your skills as a doctor are,”_ Doflamingo went on when he realized Law wasn’t rising to the bait, _“they’ve caused me some serious problems.”_

And there it was. Law needed to tread very carefully here.

 _“I had to convince the World Government that my subordinate acted on his own and that I was still a good little Warlord.”_ His voice had turned into a sneer, and Law could picture the bulging vein in his forehead. _“And promise my subordinate would be appropriately disciplined for his indiscretion.”_

“Of course,” Law said. “I’m sorry for causing you difficulties, Young Master. I will, of course, accept my punishment.”

Doflamingo chuckled, though there was no warmth to it. _“I’m sure you will. You’re ever the loyal one, aren’t you, Law?”_

Law’s breath caught in his throat, his body going cold.

 _“See you in a week.”_ With that Doflamingo hung up.

Doflamingo had stopped using Law’s name when he became an executive four years ago, even in private, so hearing it now… His tone was such a contrast to the way his friends had used his name less than an hour earlier, theirs so full of warmth and trust while Doflamingo’s was full of implication and threat…

Law ran a tired hand over his face. “Fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/caitlin_kelly11) and [Tumblr](https://purplehairedwonder.tumblr.com/).


	4. III

Law stood on the deck of the _Polar Tang_ , Bepo at his side, as the ship ambled into the East Harbor of Dressrosa. While the ship could have remained underwater until much closer to the dock, Law wanted to show Doffy that he wasn’t hiding, so he’d ordered the _Tang_ to surface early. Dressrosa was a country Law could have seen himself enjoying, had Doflamingo not ruled with a façade of generosity and warmth while hiding a dark, cold underbelly. As it was, the sight of the familiar island made his stomach turn.

There was a lone figure waiting at the dock.

“Be careful,” Bepo said as the ship eased to a stop and dropped anchor.

“You too,” Law replied, hopping down from the ship to the dock. He adjusted his grip on Kikoku and greeted his visitor. “Violet.”

“Corazon,” she replied. “Welcome back.”

Law inclined his head and fell into step with her as they headed toward the city. He chanced one final glance back at the _Tang_ —Bepo was securing the ship to the dock—before shifting his focus to the task at hand.

“Did he send you to meet me?” he asked.

“Yes, but I would have come anyway.”

When Law had first arrived in Dressrosa at 17, it had taken some time to find his footing among the Family again after four years. Not only had the operation grown significantly since Spider Miles, but Law’s own reluctance to return after his disappearance with a traitor to the Family hung like a noose around his neck. The executives and officers had been loath to trust him, though Doffy had overruled their concerns, and weren’t shy about taking out their suspicions on him and his crew. For the longest time, the only member of the Family he could stomach being around was Baby 5; they’d picked up their antagonistic but affectionate dynamic almost immediately upon Law’s return, which provided Law a small measure of comfort in its familiarity.

At first after arriving, Law had lashed out—his frustration exploding out of him when he couldn’t contain it any longer, usually as a result of the goading of the other executives—but when Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo had been punished rather than Law himself, he’d withdrawn into himself to protect them. He’d trained and studied and completed missions, but he’d shown little interest in _living_ beyond the minimum required of him, despite the attempts of his friends to pull him out of it. Even Doflamingo had tried without success to bring some life to his protégé—he’d gifted Law Kikoku in the hope that the challenge of mastering a cursed blade might inspire him; he’d mastered the sword, but it hadn’t done much to liven him up.

Despite her wariness of anyone associated with the Family, Violet had been the only one to reach out to Law during his withdrawn period and actually reach him. After about a year into Law’s return, she’d read him often enough for Doflamingo to recognize a kindred spirit in the future Corazon. Three years apart in age, they’d both been shanghaied into the Family’s service due to their useful abilities with the threat of violence against their loved ones hanging over their heads if they were to rebel.

Her cynicism after the fall of her family’s rule was an equal match for Law’s, and they both had dark senses of humor forged from their circumstances. Violet was also well-read and intellectually curious, so their conversations kept Law on his toes. They found comfort in one another, which made life on Dressrosa bearable enough for Law to slowly emerge from his shell.

Though some of the executives and officers had been concerned with a friendship between the two people with the most reason to betray the Family, Doffy had been amused—even pleased. In the last year, he’d floated the idea of the two marrying to tie Dressrosa more formally to the Family; after all, though Doflamingo was a Warlord with government immunity and his own family name tying him to the kingdom, many other kingdoms still considered him an interloper. Having his second married to the former crown princess would be politically advantageous.

“He wants you to read me. To catch me lying,” Law said, coming to a stop. Violet stopped next to him and nodded. “Go ahead then.” He knew she’d need to be able to give Doffy _something_ useful.

Violet frowned. “Are you sure?”

Law just shrugged. “No need to give him more reason to doubt.”

Violet pursed her lips but put her fingers to her eyes and used her Fruit to read Law’s thoughts and memories. After a few moments, she dropped her hands. “The Isle of Women. Really?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Law snorted and started walking again. Violet fell in beside him, her heels clacking on the cobblestones as they made their way toward the distant palace. “All we saw was the coastline. Much to the crew’s disappointment.”

“And you still don’t know why you did it.” Her tone was skeptical.

Law glanced sideways at her. “ _You_ read my thoughts, Princess.”

She rolled her eyes, as she always did when he called her that. “You took a serious risk, saving that boy. And for what?”

“That remains to be seen, I suppose.”

“I hope it was worth it,” Violet said, something dark underlying her words.

As they walked, Dressrosans bowed and murmured their names as they passed. Law paid them no mind, though he knew the deference to her alias as an officer of the Family bothered Violet by the tightening of her eyes.

“How’s Doffy been?” Law asked after a few quiet moments.

“Furious,” she replied. “But you already knew that.” She bit her lip briefly, a nervous habit of hers. “His mood has improved since you called a week ago, though.”

“That’s not good.” It meant he’d made a decision about how to deal with Law, and that didn’t bode well for him.

“Doubtful,” she agreed. “But I don’t know what he’s up to.”

Law had once asked her if she’d ever tried using her abilities on Doflamingo, but the look she’d given him in response had been withering. _“What kind of fool do you take me for?”_ she’d demanded.

“And the crew I left behind?” Law asked, dread pooling in his gut. “How are they?”

“Fine, as far as I know.”

The relief that washed over him was short-lived as Law realized it simply meant they would be punished alongside the rest of the crew now that everyone was back.

He nodded stiffly, and they fell into silence once more as they walked. Unlike other silences with the Family, though, it was comfortable. He didn’t have anything to prove to Violet. Once they arrived at the palace, they headed into the courtyard.

“Oh, look who’s back,” Baby 5 said, hand going to her hip as the pair walked in. “It’s about time, Corazon!”

Law rolled his eyes at her. “Did I miss any more ill-fated romances while I was gone, Baby?”

“Shut up!” she snapped around her cigarette. “He needed me!”

Law opened his mouth to retort—the banter familiar and comforting—but he was cut off by his least favorite executive. “Ne, ne, Corazon. Doffy is in the Suit Room. I wouldn’t keep him waiting. Behehe,” he chuckled, clearly pleased that Law was going to face consequences for what he’d done.

Law flipped him off, which only made the slime bucket laugh harder. Taking a steadying breath, Law turned—briefly meeting Violet’s gaze—and headed into the palace toward the Suit Room. Doffy would know of his arrival by now, so Trebol, as annoying as he was, was right about not keeping the king of Dressrosa waiting.

Once he reached the door, Law raised his free hand and rapped on the shut door twice. A moment later, it opened. Law schooled his features and stepped inside. Doflamingo sat by the window, across from the four seats of his top executives.

“I’ve returned, Young Master,” Law said, trying to assess the other man’s mood with little luck.

“Corazon. Come.”

Law made his way to the Heart seat and sat down, resting Kikoku against the chair. When he looked back up, Doflamingo was watching him, expression inscrutable behind those glasses. Law let the part of him that was Corazon take over, pushing the other parts of him aside. This part of him didn’t concern himself with the two men who’d claimed this seat before him or cower in the face of the man who had dominated his nightmares for more than a decade. His back straightened and he raised his chin as the mask slid into place. He also knew better than to speak before the king.

“I trust there were no more… detours on your return home,” Doflamingo said after a pregnant pause.

“No, we made good time,” Law replied evenly.

Doflamingo nodded and pushed himself to his feet. He towered over Law even when Law was standing; when Law was sitting, he was downright dwarfed by the other man. But Corazon, the captain’s second in command, was not bothered by that.

“You’ve caused me quite a bit of trouble with the World Government.” He’d said as much during the call a week earlier. “I’ve smoothed everything over, with no little effort.”

“My apologies, Young Master. It was not my intention to cause you problems.”

Doflamingo stepped into Law’s space, leaning over him. “And what was your _intention_?” The tension bleeding from that last work was palpable.

Corazon knew the importance of telling the truth in this interaction; still, Law hesitated, knowing Doflamingo wouldn’t like the answer. “I don’t know why I did it. I just acted.”

Doflamingo leaned over, placing his massive hands on the arms of the Heart seat, enclosing Law in his presence. “You don’t know,” he repeated, as if testing the words to see how they tasted. “You just acted.” His features tightened. “That doesn’t sound like you, Corazon.”

“I know.” Law preferred to plan for every contingency, plans on top of plans and every possibility considered before he made a move—all the years of evening games of chess with Doflamingo had drilled into him the importance of tactics—but he’d thrown all of that out for a _feeling_.

“You know I don’t like questioning the loyalty of my subordinates—especially my righthand man.”

“I know.”

“And yet,” he went on, as if Law hadn’t spoken, “how I can do anything but when my second comes out of the sea to save not one but _two_ enemies of the World Government from the battlefield?”

“I will accept the consequences of my actions,” Law said, doing his best to keep his voice even. “My loyalty has not changed.”

Doflamingo stepped back, huffing a wry laugh. “Now _that_ I believe.” He shook his head to himself. “Get yourself cleaned up. We’re taking a trip this evening.”

Law blinked in surprise at the sudden dismissal but nodded. “Yes, Young Master.” He grabbed Kikoku and rose. He was halfway to the door when his haki flared and he felt the air shift. But he was too slow in reacting.

A massive hand pressed suddenly against the back of his neck, shoving him forward into the closed door. Law let out a startled gasp as the air left his chest. Doflamingo draped himself over Law’s back, his lips by Law’s ear. Law did his best to suppress his instinct to fight back.

Doflamingo’s breath was warm and moist on Law’s skin as he murmured, “It wouldn’t be appropriate for the rabble to see an executive punished. But I can’t let insubordination stand either.”

Law’s breath hitched as Doflamingo spun him around so his back was pressed against the door. The hand that had been holding him immobile wrapped around his throat. It squeezed, cutting off Law’s breath. Law’s eyes widened and his free hand clawed at Doflamingo’s wrist on instinct, but the Warlord continued to squeeze. Black encroached on Law’s vision as his lungs screamed for air. His head spun and Kikoku slipped from his weaking grip.

Finally, when Law thought he would pass out, Doflamingo released him.

Law gasped greedily for air as his legs gave out from under him and he brought both hands to his neck, wincing at the tenderness. Once his breath had returned to semi-normal, he looked up at Doflamingo.

“Never forget who holds your life and the lives of your crew, Law.” Again, he’d purposefully used Law’s name. “Now go clean yourself up.”

Law took a steadying breath and nodded. He grabbed Kikoku and used her to push himself unsteadily to his feet. “By your leave, Young Master,” he croaked, throat feeling like he’d swallowed broken glass, as he opened the door and stumbled into the hallway toward his room.

* * *

Viola entered the Suit Room when Doflamingo summoned her; his meeting with Law must have ended already, as he was alone. She kept her eyes on the usurper as she approached, knowing why she had been summoned. She stopped a respectable distance in front of the Warlord.

“Doffy,” she greeted, bowing her head.

“Violet. You read Corazon upon his arrival.” It wasn’t a question.

“I did.” She’d been ordered to do so, and she followed her orders to keep her family safe.

“He says he doesn’t know why he saved Straw Hat.” Again, it wasn’t a question. Still, he was expecting an answer.

“True,” Viola confirmed. In Law’s memories, she’d felt the tug in his chest that had guided him, but he hadn’t understood what it was or what it was telling him. “He acted on instinct.”

Doflamingo frowned, looking out the window. “It’s not like him.”

“He’s been wondering about his actions since that day,” Viola said, hoping she might buy Law even the smallest amount of leniency if she confirmed his story. She kept the truth of Law’s name and its connection to the other boy to herself, though. He’d confided in her about that secret name years earlier and the danger he would be in if Doflamingo found out about it.

“Where was he?”

“Amazon Lily.” She couldn’t say she didn’t know something so prominent in his memories. “Boa Hancock seems to have a soft spot for Straw Hat Luffy.”

Doflamingo barked a surprised laugh at that. “Interesting.” He seemed to file that information away for later. “And his loyalty?”

“Unchanged.”

That much was true; Law, like Viola herself, hadn’t been truly loyal to the Family since she’d known him, but his desire for the safety of his crew and his willingness to do whatever it took to protect them had been a constant since he was 17 and newly arrived in Dressrosa. Saving Straw Hat Luffy hadn’t changed that.

Doflamingo smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “It seems he was honest with me, then.” He glanced back at Viola. “Keep an eye on him. Shouldn’t be hard since he enjoys your company.”

Viola frowned at the implication but quickly schooled her expression. “Of course.”

* * *

When Law reached his room, he found his belongings had already been brought up from the _Polar Tang_. As he shucked off his clothes and hopped in the shower, he wondered where his crew was. Had they been allowed to return to their rooms? Shaking his head, he washed the travel from his skin and hair. Once clean, he wrapped a towel around his waist, and, on the way back into his room, caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror.

He grimaced, fingers lightly tracing the already-purpling marks on his neck. He knew the marks would be visible for days, and his voice would be rough for about as long. He could use his powers to accelerate the healing, but that would defeat the entire point of the exercise, and Law knew better than that.

Executives had to appear above reproach in the eyes of the public to keep up the illusion of their absolute power, so Doffy couldn’t punish him publicly, but the evidence of punishment would show Law’s actions had been dealt with. But Law also knew some ugly bruises around his neck wouldn’t be the only punishment; at this point, however, he could only worry about what would be done to his crew, as they were Doffy’s primary means of keeping Law in line.

With a scowl, he returned to his room and pulled some clothes nicer than his typical jeans and a hoodie that Doflamingo insisted he have for formal events from his closet. The fabric was light since Dressrosa was a summer island, and Law made sure not to choose anything that would cover his neck; Doflamingo, sadist that he was, would want his handiwork on display.

Grabbing Kikoku, Law gave himself a final once-over; satisfied, he left his room. He’d just turned the corner when he nearly ran headfirst into Baby 5. She opened her mouth, undoubtedly to snarl something unkind at him, but the words died on her lips as her gaze dropped to Law’s neck. Her eyes widened.

“What?” Law demanded, hating the rasp in his voice.

Baby shook herself before looking Law in the eye again. “The Young Master told me to find you. He’s waiting in the courtyard.”

Law frowned at that. He could have sensed Doffy himself with his haki; there was no reason to send Baby as a messenger—except to make sure she saw Doffy’s handiwork up close. Law ground his teeth but nodded at Baby.

“Thanks.”

She gaped at him as he stepped past her. “Seriously?”

Law paused with a tired sigh. “What?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Since when do you _thank_ me, Corazon?”

Law rolled his eyes. “It won’t happen again if that’s the reaction I’m going to get.” He made to start walking again.

“Wait.”

Law stopped and looked at her expectantly. Baby swallowed and reached a tentative hand toward his neck. Law flinched but didn’t stop her gentle touch to the purpling handprints. Her fingers were ghost-light as she touched the marks.

“Are you okay?” she asked quietly.

Law looked away, unable to deal with the genuine concern in her expression. “I’m fine.”

“Cora— _Law._ ”

Law started and looked back at Baby. What was with people using his name lately? “What?”

“Just. Be careful. I don’t know why you did what you did, but the Young Master…” She trailed off, biting her lip.

Law took Baby’s hand in his grip, gently pulling it away from his neck, and nodded. “I know,” he said, not unkindly. He let go of her hand.

Baby dropped her hand and watched him, uncertain.

“I shouldn’t keep Doffy waiting,” Law said, and Baby jerked.

“Damn right, asshole,” she said, though her voice lacked any heat.

Law’s lips twitched and he headed for the courtyard, feeling Baby’s eyes on his back. When he entered the courtyard, Doflamingo appraised him. When he was satisfied with what he saw, gaze noticeably lingering on Law’s throat, he rose from his seat.

“There you are, Corazon. Come, we’re going out.”

Law nodded, ignoring Trebol’s knowing look. He didn’t speak, not wanting the sentient snot to hear his broken voice, instead simply falling in a half step behind Doflamingo, the appropriate place for his second. A carriage was waiting just outside the palace gates, and the two men entered and took their place across from one another.

Law remained silent as the royal carriage wound its way through the familiar streets of the capital, looking out the window and considering the direction they were taking.

“You haven’t asked where we’re going,” Doflamingo finally commented.

Law turned to the king. “Would you have answered?”

Doflamingo smirked, and Law had a feeling at least part of his amusement was at the sound of his voice. “No,” he allowed. “It’s a surprise.”

Law nodded, having assumed as much. He returned his gaze to the window, though his thoughts were with his crew and not the city they were meandering through. Violet had said Ikkaku, Clione, and Uni were unharmed, but how much longer would that last? What had happened to the rest of his crew once they’d disembarked the _Polar Tang_?

He was pulled from his thoughts when the carriage came to a halt. Law blinked when he realized where they were.

Law looked back at Doflamingo with a sinking feeling that he couldn’t explain. “The Colosseum?”

Doflamingo simply nodded and gestured toward the carriage door. “Let’s go.”

Law had little choice but to do as he was bidden, so he followed Doflamingo out of the carriage. The king was in his element as he greeted his adoring public. Law fell into place behind the other man and followed him inside to the king’s private box.

His hackles went up when he saw Diamante waiting inside the box. The executive gave Law an appraising look before nodding at Doflamingo. “Doffy,” he greeted. “Everything is ready.”

“Good.”

Doflamingo sat and nodded for Law to take the seat to the king’s right. Law did as he was bidden, and Diamante took his place to Doffy’s left. Law looked out over the amphitheater to see, as usual, a large crowd of raucous citizens. The Corrida Colosseum was the premier entertainment in Dressrosa, after all.

“Welcome to this special event at the Corrida Colosseum!” the commentator, Gatz, announced. “Today, we will see fighters from around Dressrosa get the opportunity to earn their freedom or even join the Donquixote Family by defeating a member of Corazon’s own crew, the Hearts!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/caitlin_kelly11) and [Tumblr](https://purplehairedwonder.tumblr.com/).


	5. IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Law’s crew here is smaller than in canon, with his hesitation to bring new people into his situation; Jean Bart’s addition makes thirteen members, including Law. I’ve made up names for the five unnamed members of the crew, sticking with the sea animal theme of the other Hearts.

Law was on his feet before he even realized he’d moved, barely hearing the Colosseum erupting into cheers at Gatz’s announcement over the blood rushing in his ears. So, this was the true punishment Doffy had come up with for Law’s insubordination…

It was always an affair worthy of attention when members of the Family fought in the Colosseum, and every member of an executive’s crew fighting would be the event of the season. Law could feel Doffy’s and Diamante’s eyes on him.

“Is there a problem, Corazon?” Doflamingo’s voice was deceptively calm.

“This is—”

“The consequences of your actions.”

Law shook his head. “It’s too far,” he rasped. They could be killed. This wasn’t their agreement.

“No.” Law stiffened at Doflamingo’s frigid tone and forced himself to look at the other man. “The stunt _you_ pulled at Marineford was too far. If you were anyone else—” The king cut himself off abruptly. He shook his head. “Consider this a mercy, Corazon. After all, this way your _crew_ ,” he said, sneering the word, “will be in control of their fates, not me.” His features tightened. “Now. Sit. Down.”

Law hissed as strings pulled him back into his chair, wrapping around his chest and wrists, securing him in place. His hands were pressed tightly into the armrest, preventing him from opening a Room. He clenched his jaw, furious.

“What’s wrong, Corazon?” Diamante mocked. “Afraid they’ll lose? The crew of the Family’s second-in-command shouldn’t be so weak as to lose to some common criminals.”

“Fuck off, Diamante,” Law snarled.

Doflamingo chuckled. “Now, now. Let’s enjoy the show, shall we?”

Law was able to do little more than stew in his impotent fury as Gatz announced the first pairing, much to the crowd’s delight.

* * *

Bepo stood next to Shachi and Penguin in the preparation room, eyes on the projection from the video Den Den Mushi. Kurage had just gone out for the first match. The video feed, as it waited for the arrival of the fighters, panned around the Colosseum, pausing on the king’s box.

“Captain,” Bepo exhaled when he saw Law sitting next to Doflamingo and Diamante. Though Law’s features were carefully neutral, Bepo had known Law long enough to recognize the tension in his rigid frame and the murder in his golden eyes as he glared out from the box.

“The way he’s sitting,” Penguin said as the feed moved away. “It looked off. Like…”

“Like strings were holding him?” Shachi replied.

Penguin nodded, and Bepo considered this. They all knew they were being forced to fight in the Colosseum to punish Law for his actions at Marineford; their lives were the collateral Doflamingo kept to ensure Law’s good behavior, so when Law acted out, the Hearts faced the worst of the consequences. But they also knew their captain and trusted him.

Law had saved Bepo all those years ago on Swallow Island (ironically from Shachi and Penguin) even when he had his own problems, and Bepo had loved his friend ever since. He knew Shachi and Penguin felt the same after Law had rescued them not long after Bepo. Law had saved all the Hearts in their own ways—Jean Bart wasn’t the only freed slave on their crew—and had their love and loyalty as a result.

They all knew Law had a good heart and felt things deeply, though he’d prefer others think he had no heart at all. So, if he’d been compelled to save Straw Hat by something he couldn’t explain, well, Bepo wasn’t going to question that. As a mink, Bepo felt connected to the earth and knew better than to ignore messages from her. (It had been a similar type of compulsion, one tugging at his chest in a way that he couldn’t explain, that had pushed Bepo to go looking for Zepo; but once he’d found Law, he realized he’d found where he was supposed to be all along.)

No, Bepo didn’t have a problem fighting for his captain, in the Colosseum or anywhere. None of the Hearts did.

“Doflamingo won’t let him interfere in our matches,” Bepo said.

“He needs to be careful,” Penguin said with a sigh. “He’s on thin ice already. If he pulls anything else…”

“We’ll just have to make sure he has no reason to do anything stupid,” Shachi said determinedly. Bepo and Penguin nodded in return. They’d win their fights and make sure their captain didn’t have to worry.

* * *

The first couple of matches ended fairly quickly, with Kurage and Masu taking only a few glancing blows before putting their opponents down for good. Their opponents had clearly been overmatched, though Law wondered whether Diamante was underestimating his crew when he set the matchups or if he had something else up his sleeve. The crowd cheered for Law’s men, though some jeered in the hope of seeing members of the Family brought down.

Ikkaku was next, and Law glared daggers at Diamante when her opponent was revealed as a burly man who’d been charged with domestic violence. Diamante’s smirk in reply told him that had been entirely on purpose—because he was a son of a bitch.

Law’s engineer hadn’t come into the crew as a fighter, so Penguin had been teaching her to fight with a bo staff, which she now twirled expertly in the ring. She used the speed and agility her smaller stature allowed her to elude her opponent, striking him sharply with her staff, driving him toward the edge of the ring. Ikkaku swung her staff again at her opponent, but he grabbed it in midair and yanked, pulling Ikkaku off-balance. She yelped in surprise.

Law inhaled sharply as Ikkaku took a glancing blow to the cheek as she stumbled. She hit the ground but quickly rolled and kicked her opponent in the shins. He stumbled but lashed out, kicking Ikkaku in the gut. Ikkaku doubled over; Law momentarily surged against the strings holding him, feeling their sharp edges digging into his skin, before realizing she was feigning her distress as she grabbed her staff from the ground with sure hands. Once her opponent lumbered within striking distance, she swung her staff at his ankles. He stumbled, and Ikkaku jumped to her feet, smashing him hard in the back so he went over the edge of the ring into the moat full of carnivorous fish. The water turned red moments after the man went in. Law let out a relieved breath, relaxing back into his chair, as Ikkaku left the ring.

The crowd roared at a woman defeating an abuser, amped up by Gatz’s dramatic commentary to that effect. Doffy, for his part, smirked approvingly at the bloodshed. He always considered the bloodiest matches to be the best.

Kani fought next, a sword-fighting duel against a rebel against the Family. Kani was stronger, but his opponent was faster, so Kani took several superficial wounds as well as a deeper cut to his arm that bled freely before he dispatched his opponent with a stab to the gut.

Ashika, whose weapon of choice was a spear, took on an accused thief who fought with two short swords. Theirs was a match of agility, both fighters moving quickly around the ring, stabbing and parrying, parrying and stabbing. Ashika eventually slapped one of the thief’s swords out of his hand, leaving him with one blade. The thief slashed out in a growl, cutting Ashika’s chest and stealing the air from Law’s lungs as he watched.

Ashika dropped to a knee, one hand going to the bleeding wound. The thief took the opportunity to retreat and recover his lost blade from across the ring. That was a fatal mistake, as Ashika hurled the spear, taking the man in the throat and sending him toppling over into the water.

“Your men are doing the Family proud,” Doffy commented to Law as Clione made his way into the ring.

Law contemplated ignoring the comment but decided not to push it. They _were_ fighting well, as Law knew they would. He was proud of his crew. “Thank you,” he gritted out.

Clione fought another thief, his sword against the thief’s. They traded blows as they circled the ring. Clione took a nasty gash to the thigh but dispatched his opponent after a few more frenzied exchanges, ducking a swipe at his head and slashing the thief’s neck. The thief crumpled, gurgling blood.

Iruka came next, quickly defeating his opponent with his short sword. Like Kurage’s and Masu’s opponents, Iruka’s was clearly outmatched. Law knew Diamante wouldn’t make Law’s crew look good on purpose, so it was likely he was underestimating them—which was serving to make them look even better to the gathered Dressrosans. Law, despite his fury and concern, took a small measure of satisfaction at that.

Uni took to the ring with his staff against a man convicted of multiple assaults. The man countered Uni’s staff with a spear, and the two tested each other at first then clashed more seriously. Uni gave better than he got, though when he dodged a jab, the assaulter stuck a foot out and knocked Uni off-balance. Uni stumbled and took the spear to his shoulder. He cried out, and Law’s grip on his armrests tightened.

But the assaulter took too long pulling the spear from Uni’s shoulder, and Uni pushed through the pain to swing his staff and catch the man in his midsection. He gasped and doubled over. Uni rose to his feet and swung his staff overhanded, sending his opponent to the ground with a loud crack. Uni hobbled out of the ring after his victory, trailing blood.

Jean Bart caught the crowd’s attention as the newest addition to the Hearts. Even Doflamingo leaned forward in interest at Law’s latest recruit. Jean Bart entered the ring without a weapon, clearly preferring to use his size and strength to his advantage. Diamante had clearly underestimated Jean Bart, as his opponent was utterly dwarfed by the former pirate captain. He was outclassed too, as Jean Bart easily disarmed his opponent and knocked him out in two blows.

Doflamingo chuckled as Jean Bart left the ring, crowd thundering in approval, and turned to Law. “And you found him on Sabaody?” Law nodded. Doflamingo knew Law had more than one freed slave on his crew, but Law had never made a point of mentioning his tendency to free Celestial Dragon slaves when the opportunity arose, and Doflamingo never asked despite his heavy presence in the slave trade. “Impressive. He certainly lives up to his reputation.”

Shachi followed, and Law felt a sense of foreboding as it was time for his original crewmates to fight—the ones he’d known since he was 13. Diamante would give them the biggest challenges because of that.

Armed with his favorite katana, Shachi eyed his challenger—another rebel against the Family forced to fight in the Colosseum—with some wariness, since he was much larger than Shachi and also wielded a blade. Still, Shachi knew how to handle his sword, and he was clearly confident as the match started.

Shachi and his opponent traded experimental strikes, seeking out one another’s styles and weaknesses. Despite the size difference, Shachi evenly matched his opponent’s strikes without too much effort. They circled each other, and Law tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach as the sword exchanges became more serious, had more lethal intent behind them.

Shachi drew first blood, nicking his opponent’s arm on a passing sweep. His opponent growled and redoubled his efforts. Startled, Shachi was initially pushed several steps backward toward the edge of the ring, but he used his smaller size and greater speed to duck under his opponent’s next strike and move back to the center of the ring. They exchanged additional strikes, swords clanging their challenge over the cheers and jeers of the crowd.

Shachi continued to dance around his challenger, much to the other man’s obvious frustration. After another dodged swing, the challenger snarled. He said something then, and it had an obvious effect on Shachi, who balked. The larger man took advantage and swung his fist, punching Shachi in the face.

Law cursed as Shachi stumbled. The opponent raised his sword as he advanced toward the staggering man. Shachi barely had time to throw up an arm defensively as the sword came down—

And tore through his left arm above the elbow.

Shachi screamed as he fell backward while his severed arm dropped, bloody, to the ring. His sword clattered to the ground next to him. The sound ran Law through as effectively as a blade. The crowd howled its approval, but Law could barely hear them as his wide eyes focused on his fallen friend. _No no no._

Diamante was cheering while Doflamingo hummed, clearly entertained by the bloody spectacle in the ring at the expense of one of Law’s oldest friends.

Shachi writhed on the ground, his remaining hand wrapped around the gushing stump. He needed medical attention, and he needed it _now_. But the match continued as Shachi’s opponent advanced on him. Law pushed against the strings holding him to his chair, helpless. He froze as Shachi stilled, and for a moment, Law thought he had passed out. That would get him killed.

The opponent raised his sword to bring it down on Shachi, but as he lunged forward to take the killing strike, Shachi moved with a ferocious cry, grabbing his sword with his remaining arm and stabbing upward, halting his foe’s downward momentum with the tip of his blade. The other man spasmed and dropped his blade before going limp and falling against Shachi’s side.

Law slumped back into his seat, heart hammering in his chest.

Doflamingo chuckled. “Well, now that was exciting. Your crew definitely has a flair for the dramatics, Corazon.”

Law remained silent, eyes tracking the medics who took both Shachi’s and the challenger’s bodies out of the ring on stretchers. They grabbed Shachi’s amputated arm as well. Law wanted nothing more than to form a Room and meet them in the infirmary; he was his crew’s doctor, after all. And with his Fruit, he could reattach Shachi’s arm. But that wouldn’t be allowed until all the matches were done, Law knew.

Penguin entered the ring, clearly shaken by what had just happened to his best friend. He swallowed and glanced up at the king’s box. Despite the distance, Law knew Penguin was looking at him. Law clenched his jaw, tamping down on his own panic and guilt, and nodded. _Just fight. Look after yourself. We’ll take care of him_. I’ll _take care of him._

That seemed to be enough for Penguin, who nodded in return and twirled his staff expertly, spinning it twice before bringing it to rest alongside him. The rest of his body stilled in preparation for the fight. His opponent was twice his size but lasted about as long as Jean Bart’s opponent had. The moment his opponent hit the ground with a crash, Penguin had marched out of the ring back toward Shachi.

Bepo, as Law’s first mate, was set to fight last. It was clear he was just as disturbed as Penguin by Shachi’s fall. However, he also knew it was time to prove why he was Law’s second. He, like Penguin, looked up at Law and nodded in determination. He needed nothing but his own claws and mink electro to quickly dispatch his own challenger. Like Penguin, he marched out of the ring immediately after felling his foe, ignoring Gatz’s excited commentary about his unique abilities.

* * *

“See to your men, Corazon,” Doflamingo said once the commotion had died down, flicking his wrists to retract the strings holding Law to the chair. His message had been sent, so there was no point in extending this, after all.

Shakily, Law pushed himself to his feet. “Young Master,” he said with a small bow, doing his best to keep his tone even and deferential. Message received.

Law raised a hand and opened a Room, sending it down below the Colosseum. Once he found the infirmary, he cast about his Room for an appropriate object until—

He switched places with a roll of gauze, popping into the infirmary. The nearby staff yelped in surprise, but the Hearts just looked up wearily and nodded in greeting at their captain. Law took a moment to assess the situation. His crew—who Law made sure had some working medical knowledge in case he was ever out of commission—was spread around the infirmary, and some of the less injured members like Ikkaku and Iruka were helping others. Nurses were stitching more serious wounds, like the gash on Clione’s thigh and the stab through Uni’s shoulder.

They were hurt, but they were alive.

At the far side of the infirmary, Bepo, Jean Bart, and Penguin stood alongside a doctor and a nurse around a cot that Law could only assume held Shachi.

“Captain!” Bepo all but wailed once he caught sight of Law.

Law marched over to the cot. Shachi was unconscious, likely having passed out from pain and shock. The doctor was wrapping up the stump on Shachi’s arm while the nurse hooked him up to a drip of pain medication. The wound had already been cauterized and stitched up. Shachi had also been hooked up to an IV for a blood transfusion.

 _Your fault. Your fault. Your fault_ , Law’s brain accused as he stepped up next to Bepo. Swallowing against his guilt, he summoned a Room. It might have been his fault that this happened, but he could also do something about it.

“I’ll take over here,” Law told the doctor hoarsely. “Look after the others.”

“Yes, Corazon,” the doctor said, bowing away from the cot. The nurse finished setting up the drip then left as well.

Law looked down at the cot, and for a moment he was 13 again on Swallow Island, trying desperately to repair Penguin’s severed arm. He’d been working blindly then, barely recovered from a terminal illness and still learning his Fruit, but he’d done it. Penguin had an impressive scar on his arm but other than some stiffness when they were on winter islands had no issues with mobility.

Law knew far more about both his Fruit and medicine now.

“Where’s his arm?” he asked, already mentally calculating the steps he’d need to take to reattach the limb when it had been so long after amputation. He’d seen the medics take the arm from the ring.

Penguin blinked and exchanged a look with Bepo, who shrugged. He looked back at Law. “I don’t know.”

Narrowing his eyes, Law whirled on the doctors. “Where’s his arm?” he demanded.

The doctor Law had chased away looked up from examining Clione’s wound and took a nervous breath before speaking. “T-the king ordered any severed limbs be disposed of immediately.”

Law’s stomach dropped. _Of course_ he had. There had been two matches after Shachi’s, so there would have been plenty of time to get rid of his arm.

“What did you do with it?”

“B-burned it, sir.”

Law saw red, fury burning hotly in his chest, but he reined himself in with effort; attacking the infirmary staff would be pointless. They were just following Doffy’s orders. He knew Law’s skills were good enough that he could reattach a missing limb—but not if there was no limb to reattach.

Law dropped his Room, realizing there was nothing he could do.

Doffy intended this to be a permanent reminder of Law’s failure—as a subordinate, as a captain, as a friend.

A feeling of helplessness settled over him like an old, familiar cloak; it pulled on his limbs and settled under his skin, curling around his insides. He sank into the chair next to the cot and dropped his face into his hands.

_Your fault. Your fault. Your fault._

* * *

Bepo kept a careful eye on both Shachi and Law as the afternoon bled into evening. The entire crew had wordlessly agreed to stay until Shachi could be safely brought back to his room, and the doctor wanted him to regain consciousness to assess his state of mind first. The Hearts milled around the infirmary, the wounded members resting while the others read or played cards quietly.

Shachi was completely senseless from the pain medication, but Law…

The moment Law had realized Shachi’s arm was gone with no way to repair it, Bepo had watched something behind his eyes shutter. Law had dropped, boneless, into a chair by Shachi’s cot, face in hands. The next time he looked up, Bepo’s hackles went up; Law’s expression was just… empty.

Just like it had been when he’d shut down after they’d first gotten to Dressrosa seven years earlier.

“C-captain?” Bepo hazarded. And that was when he noticed the bruises around Law’s neck. _Oh no._

“What?” Law croaked.

“Are you okay?” Bepo asked, gesturing to his own neck in lieu of explaining.

Law’s face was blank as he replied, “Fine.” Then he closed his eyes and slumped in his chair.

Bepo and Penguin exchanged worried looks. Law wasn’t fine, and they all knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out some ah-mazing art of Law and Violet inspired by this fic by the incredible ninhaoma-ya [here](https://ninhaoma-ya.tumblr.com/post/643635619243900928/a-friendship-between-violet-and-law-forged-by). I'm flailing!
> 
> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/caitlin_kelly11) and [Tumblr](https://purplehairedwonder.tumblr.com/).


	6. V

In the early dawn hours, Bepo’s ear twitched when he heard a faint groan coming from Shachi’s cot. Penguin frowned at him over the hand of cards he was holding. Bepo turned to look at Shachi’s cot and heard the sound again, this time a bit louder.

“I think he’s waking up!” Bepo said as Law jolted to his feet, eyes focused on Shachi. Bepo and Penguin dropped their cards and headed over to Shachi’s cot, taking the opposite side of their captain. The other Hearts immediately looked up hopefully but kept their distance, knowing better than to get in Law’s way when he was treating one of them.

Law opened a Room and performed a Scan. He seemed satisfied with what he found, as he wordlessly dropped his Room once more.

“Shachi?” Penguin asked as his friend blinked a few times blearily. “You with us?”

“Mrgh,” Shachi replied, eyes settling into a narrow squint as he tried to focus on the figures around him.

“Hey, Shachi!” Bepo greeted, relieved to see his friend awake.

“How do you feel?” Penguin asked.

Shachi opened his mouth to reply, but his voice cracked; Penguin hurried over to the sink and filled a cup of water before returning with it.

“Slowly,” Penguin warned as he helped Shachi take sips from the cup.

As Shachi drank, Bepo snuck a glance at Law. He was watching Shachi carefully, his lips pressed into a thin line and his posture tense.

“Thanks,” Shachi said once he’d had enough.

“So?” Penguin prompted. Shachi looked at him blankly. “How do you feel?”

Shachi blinked. “Oh, ah… Still a bit out of it.”

“To be expected,” Law rasped. Bepo winced in sympathy. “Morphine,” he elaborated when Shachi and Penguin looked at him.

“What do you remember?” Bepo asked, turning back to Shachi.

Shachi frowned. “Fighting in the Colosseum. That asshole said—” He cut himself off but glanced at Law, so they all had a general idea of what had distracted him during the fight. The Hearts didn’t take kindly to insults to their captain. “Anyway. I was an idiot and got distracted. Fell down and…”

His eyes widened and he looked down at his arm—or what had once been his arm. His eyes locked on the gauze-wrapped stump and stiffened. After a long, silent moment, Shachi made a pained, keening sound in the back of his throat, and he shut his eyes, flopping back into his pillow.

“It wasn’t a dream.”

“No,” Penguin agreed, putting a hand on Shachi’s shoulder, an anchor in a moment his best friend was clearly adrift.

“I—”

Bepo looked up at Law, who’d gone rigid at Shachi’s reaction. He could see Law’s expression closing off as he turned away.

“I’ll make arrangements to move you back to your room,” Law said, voice monotone.

And in a flash of blue, he was gone, a small rock clattering to the ground in his place.

Bepo exchanged a worried look with Penguin, but they both turned their attention back to their friend on the cot. The other Hearts slowly started drifting over, wanting to offer comfort.

“I can still feel it. Kinda,” Shachi mumbled, eyes still screwed shut.

“Phantom limb,” Penguin supplied. And Penguin _would_ know, Bepo realized; he’d lost an arm back on Swallow Island, though Law had managed to reattach it back then. Shachi wouldn’t have that luck.

“I know his arm is gone, but couldn’t the captain give him another arm?” Clione murmured to Bepo. Iruka and Masu nodded from behind him.

“No way,” Ikkaku replied from Bepo’s other side, voice low. “What do you think Doflamingo would do to the captain—to _Shachi_ —if he did?”

“Ikkaku’s right,” Bepo said. Doflamingo was a real son of a bitch like that; he saw others’ lives as pawns and their pain as entertainment. 

Doflamingo also didn’t appreciate being challenged, and Law, it seemed based on the bruises around his neck, had crossed a line at Marineford. There was no telling how the Warlord would react to yet another challenge, like Law daring to give Shachi another arm when the entire Colosseum had seen him lose it.

“Where’d the captain go, anyway?” Uni asked.

“Arranging to move Shachi back to the palace,” Bepo said with a worried sigh.

Law had spent the night repeatedly Scanning Shachi, keeping an eye on the wound and making sure no infection would set in. He’d changed Shachi’s IVs and checked the wound with practiced doctor’s hands, but he hadn’t said a word as he’d worked. Bepo could practically taste the guilt radiating off him.

Light conversation continued around Shachi’s cot, and eventually Shachi opened his eyes and even started participating, if half-heartedly. Still, it did the others good to seem him engage, and the mood in the infirmary improved drastically.

Half an hour later, Law returned—this time through the infirmary doors. Everyone looked up at him.

“Let’s go,” he said, crossing his arms. “There are carriages out front.”

The Hearts around Shachi’s cot slowly dispersed, grabbing their belongings and heading for the door. Bepo and Penguin frowned and looked down at Shachi. He was still under a heavy dose of morphine so wouldn’t be able to walk. That also wouldn’t be a good combination with Law’s powers.

“I can get—” Penguin started, but Bepo simply reached down and pulled Shachi into his arms. Shachi yelped and struggled weakly before sighing and relaxing into Bepo’s grip. “Or not,” Penguin finished lamely. Instead, he shrugged and grabbed the IV bags connected to his friend, following Bepo and Shachi toward the doors.

“Captain?” Bepo asked as they approached, hoping to get _some_ kind of reaction, but Law just waved them ahead, his expression blank. Bepo frowned but kept walking, Penguin in step with him and Shachi quiet in his arms; it seemed just talking with the others had tired him out. Law’s footsteps clacked on the floor from somewhere behind them. Usually, Bepo found the sound of Law’s boots familiar and comforting, but there was an ominous feeling on the air he couldn’t shake.

Outside the Colosseum, they found four carriages. The other Hearts, who’d gone ahead, were already filing into the back three vehicles. Even Jean Bart fit into a carriage, as they’d been built to easily accommodate large figures like Doflamingo and Pica. Bepo and Penguin headed for the first carriage. Bepo stepped inside and placed Shachi on the bench then took a seat next to him. Penguin came in next, sitting across from Shachi, IV bags still in hand.

Law had one foot in the carriage when he paused to give an order to the driver before ducking in and sitting down next to Penguin. He pulled the door shut, and the carriage took off a few moments later. The remaining carriages followed to the palace.

* * *

It was still early, just after sunrise, when the carriages pulled up to the entrance of the palace. Law exited the carriage and kept half an eye on the others as they filed from the carriages and half an eye on the trail into the palace grounds. The last thing he wanted was to run into any executives while bringing Shachi back to his room; he just hoped the early morning meant the most obnoxious ones would still be asleep.

Once his crew had disembarked, Law took the lead as they headed for the palace. Bepo, Shachi in arm, and Penguin followed as the others flanked them. Law led them through a side entrance closer to the wing where the Hearts had their rooms—on the opposite end of the palace from where the executives had their rooms.

It was a small mercy that they only ran into a few servants in the halls of the palace. Law went directly to Shachi’s room, where he’d already directed servants to move several pieces of medical equipment and boxes of medical supplies to from the infirmary. Bepo followed and deposited Shachi in his bed. Penguin came up to the side of the bed and put the IV bags on the waiting stand.

“Get some rest,” Bepo said, putting a gentle hand on Shachi’s shoulder and squeezing. Shachi murmured something unintelligible in response, which Bepo seemed to appreciate.

Law ignored the probing look Bepo gave him before leaving the room and ushering the others to their own rooms, threatening to tend to their respective wounds himself if they didn’t rest. He then pulled Jean Bart aside to show him to his room, which had been set up before the Hearts had returned to Dressrosa.

Penguin lingered for a moment before Shachi sighed and reached across his body with his sole arm to flick him in the leg. “Didn’t you hear Bepo? Get some rest, Peng.”

Penguin bit his lip but finally nodded. “I’ll check on you in a while.”

“Thanks.”

Penguin turned and headed out of the room, glancing one final time behind him. Once he’d shut the door behind him, Law and Shachi were alone.

“How’s the pain?” Law asked. Medical questions were safe. Law was a doctor and Shachi his patient. He could do that much, at least. “I don’t imagine carting you around the city helped.”

“No,” Shachi admitted, shutting his eyes in a grimace. “Bepo’s soft, but—”

“Doesn’t help nerve pain.” Or bone pain. Or tissue pain. Or… “I’ll give you another dose of morphine,” Law said, cutting off his own dark thoughts. He grabbed a vial from one of the boxes he’d had brought to Shachi’s room. “This’ll probably knock you out,” he warned as he administered the dose.

“Good,” Shachi muttered, opening his eyes again. They were glassy. “Being awake kinda sucks right now.”

Law’s chest tightened again, but he pushed it aside. As Shachi’s doctor, he had no time for guilt.

“I’ll check on your bandages as often as I can.” Who knew how much time Doffy would give him, though. “Penguin and Bepo will too.”

Shachi nodded, his eyes drooping shut once more as the morphine took effect. “Thanks, Captain,” he murmured as he fell asleep.

Law stood watching him for a long moment after that. What did Shachi have to thank him for? This was all Law’s fault, after all.

* * *

A few days later, Law startled when a hand slapped a newspaper on top of the book he was reading at a table in the library. He tamped down on a flare of annoyance; he’d spent the last several days in the library to get away from other people. Instead of snapping, though, he simply raised an eyebrow at the hand’s owner.

“What?”

Violet looked down at him. “Thought you might want to see what the boy you saved has been up to.” She pulled her hand away and crossed her arms.

Law picked up the newspaper and frowned at the cover page, which featured a somber image of Straw Hat Luffy, namesake in hand and body still wrapped in the bandages Law had put there, paying his respects at Marineford.

“He rang the Ox Bell sixteen times,” Violet supplied as Law looked at the picture. “The Marines are taking it as a declaration of war.”

Law barely heard her, his attention focused on the picture. Something he couldn’t name stirred in his chest as he studied the newspaper, reminiscent of the tug he’d felt _that_ day. But he couldn’t afford to listen to that again, not after what had happened. He shoved it as far down as he could.

“And why would I care?” he asked, putting the newspaper down.

Violet’s eyes narrowed. When Law didn’t elaborate, she sighed and sat down across from him. “You saved him for a reason, _Corazon_ ,” she said, emphasizing his title, knowing it rankled him.

“It was a whim,” Law replied, not rising to the bait. “He’s not my patient anymore, so what concern is he of mine?” If Law said it enough, he might even start to believe it. Maybe that _something_ in his chest would go away. And his nakama wouldn’t have to pay for any more of his selfish decisions.

“Try again,” Violet said. “I read you after you got back, in case you forgot.”

“So you know I didn’t have a reason,” Law replied coolly.

“I know what you’re doing,” Violet said. Law inclined his head at her. “You’re protecting your men after what happened in the Colosseum. But you don’t have to do that with me.” She reached a hand out to grab Law’s, but Law jerked back and Violet frowned, hurt flashing across her face before her expression tightened. “You can’t just shut yourself off from everyone.”

Law pushed himself to his feet and turned away from the table. “Watch me.”

As he left the library, Violet picked up the book he’d been reading from the table and started. She looked up after him, but his retreating back had already vanished through the door. He’d been reading about prosthetics.

* * *

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Law oversaw Shachi’s recovery, making sure everything—medically, anyway—was on track. Shachi’s arm healed as well as could be expected, and though he hadn’t lost his dominant arm, he still had to relearn many tasks to compensate for his new center of balance. He spent a lot of time on the training grounds with the others, relearning the sword with one hand so, in his own words, he wouldn’t be a liability to the rest of the crew.

It was not lost on the Hearts, however, that Law had withdrawn from them, becoming more of a specter than their captain. He threw himself into his role as Corazon, second in command of the Donquixote Family and right hand of the King of Dressrosa. He trained his blade and his Fruit, pushing the capabilities of his Rooms and the creativity of his techniques. He even fought in the Colosseum on occasion.

No one came close to besting him.

He was also sent regularly on missions for Doflamingo, but he took fewer of the Hearts with him, at times even going solo or with other executives instead. The more he went out, the more his reputation for cruelty grew, much to Doflamingo’s delight. The influence of the Family continued to spread through the New World, with SMILE only being the tip of the iceberg.

Doflamingo was also not shy about flaunting that he had started taking his second to his bed, and if Law had become even more shut off in the aftermath, no one dared comment for fear of body parts ending up in unpleasant places.

In that way, two years passed after Marineford.

One sunny day, Law was absently turning the pages of a medical journal as he sat in the library when Violet came in. They often met like this in the library—or, more accurately, Violet regularly tracked him down in the library and wouldn’t let Law chase her away; in addition to his other duties as Doflamingo’s second in command, he was also the Family’s head doctor, so he regularly took time to stay current in his field. It was one of the few reasons Doffy accepted—even encouraged—for him to be away from the Warlord’s side for any length of time other than missions.

Law knew what she was doing; Violet had spent the last two years doing her best to reach out to him, though her efforts had born little fruit. He’d allowed the mask of Corazon to become his second skin—a skin that kept him and, more importantly, his crew safe. The distance he kept was for the best.

Today, Law had retreated to the library as soon as breakfast was over; he avoided as many Family affairs as he could when Vergo was at the palace. Despite even Doflamingo’s best efforts, the first and third Corazons were rarely civil. Law despised his predecessor after Minion Island. Vergo, for his part, made it clear he considered Law an extension of Doflamingo’s traitor brother and unworthy of sitting at the Warlord’s right hand. To Vergo, Law was an upstart who had risen above his station and deserved to be put in his place. To Law, Vergo was a feral beast—a monster who delighted in beating a terminally-ill teenager nearly to death—who deserved to be put _down_.

“Avoiding Vergo?” Violet asked by way of greeting, slipping into a chair across from Law.

Law didn’t bother responding, keeping his eyes on the pages in front of him.

Violet huffed but wasn’t deterred. Though he did nothing to encourage her efforts—in fact, he actively discouraged her—part of Law distantly appreciated that she hadn’t given up on him after everything that had happened in the last two years. Law, more often than not, felt like a stranger in his own skin; keeping his distance from, well, everything (even—especially—himself) was the only thing that made it tolerable.

But Violet, for whatever reason, seemed to think there was something in him worth fighting for. Maybe she saw herself in Law, so she saw fighting for him akin to fighting for herself and her own humanity. Law didn’t particularly agree that he was worth it, but her efforts warmed something in his chest anyway.

“I spoke to Bepo yesterday,” Violet said after a moment.

Law’s lips pressed into a thin line at the mention of his best friend.

“He said he hasn’t seen you in a while. None of your crew has.”

“I’ve been busy.” He turned a page. It was safer this way. For all of them.

“He wasn’t mad.”

Of course he wasn’t. Bepo was never mad at Law, no matter how much he might deserve it.

“He was just worried.”

Law finally glanced up from his journal, giving Violet an unimpressed look. “Is there a reason you’re playing go-between with my crew, Princess?”

“Because _you_ won’t,” she snapped before collecting herself again. She took a quick look around to make sure no one was nearby before speaking, her voice low. “I know you feel like nothing more than Doflamingo’s creature. Like he owns every part of you, down to your soul.” Law flinched, the feel of Doflamingo’s fingers as he sought to claim every part of Law, inside and out, a ghostly memory on his skin. “I know because I feel the same way. But I rely on the people I love, like my father and my niece, to remind me that I’m _not_ his. I do what I do to protect them and survive.” She shook her head. “And your crew does that for you. If you’d let them.”

Law opened his mouth, but his reply was cut short by the muted sound of approaching footsteps on the library carpet. He looked up to see one of Doffy’s personal servants hurrying in his direction.

“Corazon,” she said, slightly breathless. “The Young Master requests your presence in his office.”

Law raised an eyebrow at Violet— _am I_ not _Doflamingo’s creature?_ —before rising to his feet. He nodded at the servant and followed her out of the library, the feeling of Violet’s gaze burning his back.

When they reached Doffy’s office, the servant knocked and waited for the king’s call to enter. “Corazon is here, Young Master,” she said, bowing Law into the room. The door shut behind her as Law stepped in.

Doflamingo sat behind his ornate office desk, reclining in his large chair, fingers steepled in front of him. Law’s jaw clenched at the sight of the other man in the room. Vergo sat in a chair across the desk from Doflamingo, one leg crossed over the other. He did not bother to mask his disdain for Law's presence.

“Doffy,” Law greeted, pointedly ignoring Vergo.

“Corazon,” Doflamingo said. “I have a mission for you.”

“Of course.”

“Are you sure, Doffy? I could—” Vergo started, but Doflamingo cut him off.

“And risk blowing your cover?” He shook his head. “Your successor is more than capable of handling this little errand.”

Law allowed a smirk to play at his lips, knowing it would irk Vergo. “And where am I going?”

Doflamingo turned his attention back to Law. “Punk Hazard. We’ve had reports of some unwanted pests on the island. I need you to take care of them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/caitlin_kelly11) and [Tumblr](https://purplehairedwonder.tumblr.com/).


	7. VI

“And where am I going?”

“Punk Hazard. We’ve had reports of some unwanted pests on the island. I need you to take care of them.”

Law frowned. Punk Hazard was meant to be off-limits to pirates and Marines alike since Caesar Clown’s poison gas bomb had turned the island into a wasteland. The fight between Aokiji and Akainu had only further cemented Punk Hazard as a place to avoid, as their abilities had completely altered the landscape. It shouldn’t even be accessible by log pose. Which, of course, made it the perfect location for Doflamingo’s purposes. Who would be there now?

“What kind of pests?” he asked.

Doflamingo waved a hand. “Vice Admiral Smoker is sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong again.”

Law’s lips curled upward once more, and he inclined his head as he looked at Vergo. “Shouldn’t you be keeping your men under better control, Vergo?” He tsked. “No wonder you can’t handle this yourself.”

Vergo’s expression tightened. “You insolent—” He cut himself off as Doflamingo cleared his throat. “Smoker has been a concern since he transferred to G-5,” Vergo admitted as he turned back to Doffy. “I’ve been waiting for the best time for him to have an _accident_.” He glanced at Law. “And that’s Vergo- _san_ , to you, boy.”

“It’s _Corazon_ to you, _Vice Admiral_ ,” Law retorted, still smirking, “not ‘boy.’”

“As I am unfortunately reminded,” Vergo sneered. “Truly, my successors have left much to be desired.”

Law’s grip around Kikoku tightened at the reference to Cora-san. He knew Vergo was trying to get a rise out of him and that Doflamingo was watching his reaction, so he forced his fingers to relax and left the smirk playing at his lips.

“And yet,” he drawled, “only one of us can go on this mission.”

Vergo opened his mouth to retort, but Doffy interrupted. “Enough bickering.” He turned to Law. “Smoker and his men aren’t the only pests Monet has reported.” He gave Law a long, searching look, which set Law’s teeth on edge, before elaborating. “The Straw Hat Pirates are also on the island.”

Law’s breath left him in a rush, the name so unexpected on Doffy’s lips that it struck him like a blow. There had been no news of the Straw Hats in two years; what were the odds they would reappear in Doflamingo’s territory?

He thought again of the pull in his chest he’d done his best to bury over the last two years and the urgings of the Sisters back in Flevance to always look and listen for signs of something bigger than ourselves in the world. Even Bepo, when they were younger, had talked about Minks’ connection to the Earth and how they looked to her for signs.

Law swallowed.

“That won’t be a problem, will it, Corazon?”

Law, with no little effort, schooled his features into something he hoped was apathetic. “No problem. I will take care of it.”

Doffy nodded. “I know you will.” Though Law couldn’t see his eyes behind those glasses, he could still feel the intensity in the Warlord’s gaze. “You know how important it is that the SAD production not be interrupted.”

“Of course,” he said, bowing slightly. “I’ll make arrangements to leave immediately.”

“There’s an SAD tanker heading for Punk Hazard in an hour. You can take that.”

Law nodded his understanding and turned to exit the office.

“Corazon.”

Law paused and looked back at Doflamingo, wary.

“I’m counting on you.”

Law stiffened at the implication in the tone, and memories of Doflamingo’s fingers around his throat sprang unbidden to mind. Over the last two years, Doffy had taken an… interest in Law’s neck, as though seeing the marks he’d left behind that day in the Suit Room had awoken some primal urge. Sometimes he touched gently, almost reverently, while others he squeezed hard enough to leave bruises blooming across the abused skin. Once, Law had been forced to sign to communicate for several days as his throat had healed from Doffy’s attentions.

And sometimes it wasn’t bruises left behind but bites. Law regularly sported some type of mark from Doffy’s _affections_ , but the neck markings in particular were nearly impossible to hide the next day, making them Doffy’s favorite way of reminding Law who he belonged to.

As though Law needed any further reminder.

He nodded at Doflamingo. “Young Master,” he said in acknowledgment then left the room.

* * *

“You allow him too much,” Vergo said once the door had closed behind Law.

Doflamingo raised an eyebrow at Vergo. “Oh?”

Vergo’s lips curled in disdain. Those two just could not play nicely. “He’s insolent.”

Doflamingo snorted. “That he is. He has been since he was a child.” Once a boy with bombs strapped to his chest looking to destroy the world, Law had risen to second in command of a Warlord and king. Doffy had to admit that he was rather fond of Law’s insolence.

In moderation.

It had taken time and numerous lessons since his return to the Family to break down the boy’s more rebellious instincts, but the Corazon he had become was exactly the second he’d always thought Law could become.

It was too bad that one day his reign as second would have to end in sacrifice to Doflamingo’s immortality, but Law wasn’t ready yet. Doflamingo was patient and more than happy to make use of his Corazon until Law learned it was his fate to die for Doflamingo.

Vergo eyed him for a moment, clearly weighing what he wanted to say to his liege.

“Speak freely, Vergo,” Doflamingo said, leaning back in his chair. Vergo was one of the few people he truly allowed such liberties, as he had been with him since they were children.

“He will betray you. Just like my successor did.”

Doflamingo scowled at the mention of his brother, but Vergo had earned that familiarity. It was an old argument they’d had since Law had returned to the Family nearly a decade earlier. Vergo remembered the boy in the snow helping Rosinante in trying to bring down the Family. And Vergo’s loyalty lay entirely with Doflamingo, so he did not forgive treason.

“I’m well aware of the influence Rosinante had on him,” Doflamingo replied, thinking back to a teenage Law’s snarled defense of Rosinante the day they’d reunited in the North Blue: _Cora-san saved me. I am alive today because of him._ Little did he know, his precious Cora-san had condemned him by feeding him that Fruit; Doflamingo had never intended for Law to eat the Ope Ope no Mi because Law was more valuable to him as his future second than as a sacrificial pawn. But now there was no choice.

“That’s why I’ve taken precautions to ensure his continued loyalty.”

“He betrayed you at Marineford,” Vergo pointed out, “even with those precautions.” They had argued for days after Law had saved Straw Hat and Jimbei. Despite Vergo’s protestations, Doflamingo hadn’t been willing to rid himself of the potential he saw in Law.

And he’d been right, of course.

“I made sure he learned his lesson,” Doflamingo replied. “His loyalty has been impeccable since.”

Doflamingo could not have planned a better lesson in loyalty than one of Law’s closest friends losing an arm in the Colosseum. Something, it seemed, had broken in Law then, all ideas of rebellion washed away in his friend’s blood on the Colosseum’s stone ring. He’d been the ideal subordinate since. He’d withdrawn from his crew, devoting himself entirely to the Family—to Doflamingo—and Doflamingo took every opportunity to assert his complete ownership of his Corazon, his Heart.

Perhaps Doflamingo liked Law’s insolence because it was a reminder that, even as Law submitted to Doflamingo, he was still in there, the boy who wanted to destroy the world after it had destroyed his.

Still, Doflamingo saw the presence of the Straw Hats on Punk Hazard as the perfect test to make sure the loyalty he now displayed was real.

Vergo was clearly not persuaded by Doflamingo’s assertions, so the Warlord shrugged.

“You know I’d like you to stay,” he said. They never had enough time together with Vergo’s duties to the Marines keeping him away. “But if you’re so concerned about Corazon’s loyalty, go to Punk Hazard to keep an eye on him.” Vergo straightened, surprised but pleased. He’d wanted to be the one to take care of the mess in the first place. “But don’t blow your cover. You are too valuable to me.”

Vergo nodded and rose to his feet. “By your leave, Young Master.”

* * *

When Law returned to his room, he found a folder on his desk with a copy of Monet’s reports about Smoker, G-5, and the Straw Hats. He flipped through the pages then closed the folder; he’d look at them more thoroughly during the ship ride. Caesar’s lab was on the snowy side of the island, so he changed into warmer clothing and grabbed his heavy coat from his wardrobe.

Punk Hazard was only a few hours from Dressrosa by ship, and Law did not expect this errand to take long so he didn’t pack anything else. After putting his Den Den Mushi in his pocket, he hefted Kikoku to his shoulder and took the folder and his coat. He thought about stopping by his crew’s wing to tell them where he was going but decided against it. He didn’t have much time before the tanker left.

As he approached the front gate of the palace, he slowed at the sight of three figures. He grimaced as Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin came into focus. They looked up when they heard him approach.

“Captain,” Bepo greeted hesitantly.

“What are you three doing here?” Law asked, looking between them. He had his suspicions about who might have ratted him out.

“Going somewhere?” Penguin asked, nodding at the folder and coat in Law’s arms.

“Mission.”

“By yourself?” Shachi asked, frowning.

“This shouldn’t take long. Just a quick clean up,” Law evaded.

“We could help make it go even faster,” Penguin said.

Bepo nodded. “We want to help.”

Law frowned. “It’s not necessary. I should be back by tomorrow.”

“But—” Bepo started.

“Captain’s orders,” Law interrupted, voice harsher than he intended.

Bepo shrank in on himself and murmured an apology. Law knew Bepo didn’t deserve that—none of them did—but it was the only way he could keep them safe.

“You want to pull that,” Penguin said, crossing his arms defiantly, “maybe you should start _acting_ like a captain again.”

Law recoiled as if Penguin had struck him.

“We haven’t seen you in weeks. And when you do stop by, you barely speak. You don’t take us on missions, even though we’re way more useful than that idiot Buffalo,” Penguin went on.

“I know you spooked when I lost my arm,” Shachi added, voice more neutral than Penguin’s. “But it’s not your fault.”

“Of course it is,” Law snapped, feeling suddenly fragile as his best friends confronted him. Two years’ worth of guilt and frustration had left his emotions jagged and broken, and it was inevitable those sharp edges would hurt them—and here they were. “I made the choice to go to Marineford and save Straw Hat-ya. I made the choice to stay on Amazon Lily for weeks, knowing you all would pay the price. I was selfish and look what happened.”

“No, Law,” Bepo said quietly. Law startled. “That wasn’t being selfish. You _saved_ Straw Hat Luffy and Jimbei when no one else could have.” Bepo swallowed. “And I’m sorry, but you’re being selfish _now._ ”

Law sucked in a breath.

“Locking yourself up in your guilt and pain—”

“And not letting us help!” Penguin interjected.

“—that’s self-centered,” Bepo finished. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re not this person you’ve let yourself become,” Shachi added fiercely. “ _They_ might think of you as Corazon,” he said, nodding toward the palace, “but to us, you’re Captain.”

Law’s chest tightened as his friends spoke, his face heating. “I…” He swallowed, unsure of what to do with the twisting in his chest. “I have to go.”

And like the coward that he was, Law fled.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon when the SAD tanker anchored at Punk Hazard. Law eyed the island curiously. While he knew about the production going on in the lab, he’d never been to the island. He didn’t bother waiting for the gangplank, switching places with a pile of rope on the dock. According to the map of the lab in his folder, there should be a back entrance Law could use to gain entry. From there, he would need to find Monet and Caesar Clown for any updates before completing his task.

There was gas on the air, so Law opened a small Room around himself to keep the poison out as he walked toward the back door. He Shambled himself inside and made his way down the hallway. The sound of approaching footsteps alerted him to Monet’s presence before he saw her.

“Corazon, you’re here,” she greeted.

Law nodded and she turned to lead him back to the lab. Law fell in step with her.

“Well?” he asked. “What’s happening?”

She gave him a level look, one that belied the apparent chaos happening elsewhere on the island. “Half the Straw Hats are inside the building, trying to remove the children. We have soldiers confronting them, but G-5 is also in the building.”

Law didn’t think she sounded particularly bothered by this, but that could also just be Monet’s overall flat affect. He’d always had a hard time getting a good read on her.

“And the others?” he prompted.

“They’re somewhere on the island. Caesar sent the Yeti Cool Brothers after them.”

Law didn’t know much about them, other than that Caesar employed them as assassins. He rarely needed their services, considering the isolated nature of the island.

“But you don’t think they’ll be successful.” Otherwise, why was Law here?

Monet shrugged. “Hard to know, considering the Straw Hats have been inactive for two years. We have no way of knowing how strong they might have become.”

And as far as Law knew, Straw Hat had been training with Silvers Rayleigh—though he’d done his best not to think about that—for the last two years. There was no telling what he might have learned from the Dark King in that time.

They stopped in front of a large door, which slid open to admit them into the control room. Inside, Caesar stood watching monitors. The clown turned as Monet and Law entered. He brightened when he saw Law.

“Corazon!” he greeted. “You’re here! Finally.”

“Joker sent me to clean up your mess, Caesar-ya,” Law replied, disinterested.

Caesar prickled at that but knew better than to argue with an executive. He nodded at the monitors. “Half the Straw Hats and G-5 have overwhelmed my men in the Biscuit Room.” On the screen, numerous figures in gas suits were scattered across the floor. “They just went running toward the front entrance.”

“Together?” Law asked, raising an eyebrow as he studied the monitors, getting a sense of the scene.

“It seems they both want to retrieve the children,” Monet said, also looking at the monitors. “They must be working together temporarily.”

Caesar waved a dismissive hand. “No matter. The children will be begging to return in no time. But the pirates and Marines _are_ a problem.”

“And the others?” Law asked. He didn’t see Straw Hat on any of the monitors. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

“In the mountains somewhere, probably dead,” Caesar said. “We don’t have a feed out there.” He shrugged and chuckled. “Shurororo. The Yeti Cool Brothers have never been defeated.”

“Don’t underestimate them,” Law murmured as he studied the monitors. Caesar made an irritated noise, but Law ignored him, having made his decision. “I’ll cut the Straw Hats and Marines off at the front gate and take care of them there. I’ll find the rest after.”

If Caesar or Monet had any objections, Law didn’t stick around to hear them; he opened a Room all the way out of the building and switched places with a snowflake. Without dropping his Room, he stood outside then, waiting for his targets to come through the open front gate.

He didn’t have to wait long.

“There’s the door!” a female voice echoed through the hall.

“Hurry!” another yelled. “We’ll get on the ship and take you home!”

Law shoved any concern for the children’s wellbeing down with all his other inconvenient emotions, locking it down in the box he’d created after Marineford. He had a job to do. And it wasn’t like _his_ childhood had been spared either. His had ended the moment Lami had collapsed at the festival. The world was a cold, unforgiving place.

The mixed group of pirates, Marines, and children poured out of the gate moments later but slowed to a halt on the steps when they saw Law blocking their path. At the front of the group, Smoker and several Straw Hats were eyeing him. He briefly noted the presence of the samurai, Kin’emon, who had been mentioned in Monet’s reports as well; unlike the others, he was meant to be kept alive, though Law didn’t know why.

“What the—” Black Leg growled.

“I recognize him from Sabaody!” the cat burglar said, eyes wide.

“Corazon,” Smoker said. “That explains a lot.”

“What does it explain?” the tanuki asked.

“Corazon is the second in command of the Donquixote Pirates,” the swordswoman said. “If he’s here, that means this place must be one of Donquixote Doflamingo’s operations.”

“So, you’re behind this?” the cat burglar sneered. “You can’t have the children back, you monster!”

“When did you get here?” Smoker demanded.

“Just now,” Law replied. “Word was there were some pests on the island that needed exterminating.” He unsheathed Kikoku, the blade humming in anticipation. “And I’m afraid you know too much, White Chase-ya, so I can’t let you leave.”

Smoker drew his jitte, and the swordswoman unsheathed her blade. The soldiers of G-5 drew their rifles. Black Leg and the cyborg stepped forward. Law might have laughed at the futility of their actions; they were in his Room and at his mercy. Despite the reputation he’d earned for himself, though, he wasn’t interested in pointless violence. He’d take care of this quickly.

The soldiers fired a hail of bullets first, but with a twitch of his fingers, he switched the bullets with snowflakes; they fell harmlessly to the ground.

“What the hell happened?” the soldiers yelped.

“How about some bigger ammo?” the cyborg declared, firing a large blast.

Law Shambled out of the way, allowing the blast to destroy a boulder in the distance.

The swordswoman jumped into action, charging at him. “Corazon!”

Smoker yelled a warning at his second, but she ignored him.

Law let her get close before swinging Kikoku. She gasped as her upper and lower halves split in two, falling to the snowy ground. The top of her sliced sword clattered away, useless.

“Captain-chan!”

“Tashigi-chan! Are you alive?”

Black Leg growled and jumped into action. “How dare you do that to a beautiful lady?!”

Law rolled his eyes and threw up Kikoku to block Black Leg’s kick. Black Leg jumped back, and Law sliced his blade. Black Leg and Smoker jumped out of the path of the cut, but the remaining G-5 soldiers suddenly found themselves in pieces. They yelled in surprise at still being alive. Law ignored them, turning back to his remaining opponents.

“What kind of power _is_ that?” the cat burglar asked from where she and the tanuki stood protectively in front of the children.

“The Ope Ope no Mi,” Smoker said. “It gives the user the ability to create an operating room and operate on the world around them. As long as we’re in his circle, we’re at his mercy.”

“Where’s the edge of the circle?” the cyborg asked, looking around for the edge of the blue dome.

Law’s lips twitched. He’d pushed himself over the last two years to drastically increase the size of the Room he could create and the length of time he could hold it. His Room now extended into the water.

“If we take him out, it won’t matter!” Black Leg declared, racing at Law once more.

Law dodged his kicks, deflecting them with Kikoku. He realized too late that he was being driven, though; his haki flared, and he barely dodged Smoker’s strike, the jitte grazing his cheek.

“That nasty energy,” Law hissed. “There’s Seastone on the end of your jitte.” Dangerous. Law had gotten cocky, and it had almost cost him. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Smoker swung his jitte again, and Law deflected it. His haki flared again, and he jumped to avoid another blast from the cyborg then Shambled away to put some distance between himself and his opponents.

“Corazon,” a growl came from his side.

Law looked down, surprised to see he’d Shambled himself near the halved swordswoman. There was fire in her eyes, despite her defeat.

“At least kill me if you’re going to cut me down,” she snapped. “You’ve shamed me.”

Law gave her an unimpressed look. He couldn’t look at a Marine without seeing the carnage of Flevance in his mind’s eye. “Your shame isn’t my problem,” he retorted coldly. “Remember this well: the weak don’t get to choose how they die.”

Doflamingo had beaten that lesson into him more times than Law could count; Law himself wasn’t given that choice. He knew Doflamingo had plans for his death, though the Warlord didn’t know Law had overheard his words on Minion Island.

She snarled her rage and tried to jump at him with just her upper body and her broken sword. Law raised Kikoku, ready to cut her down further, but his blade was kicked aside by Black Leg. Kikoku flew from his grip, and Law cursed under his breath.

“Don’t you know how to treat a lady?” Black Leg barked.

Law threw up his hands, feeling the charge grow in his hands. As Black Leg’s momentum brought him close to Law, Law pushed his thumbs into Black Leg’s chest and let the burst go. _Counter shock._

“She’s no lady,” Law hissed as Black Leg flew backward and hit the ground, rolling. “She’s a _Marine_.”

“Sanji!” the Straw Hats yelled in alarm.

Black Leg tried to push himself up but dropped back down to the ground. Law turned away and walked over to his sword. He picked up Kikoku and surveyed the scene. The swordswoman, Black Leg, and the G-5 soldiers were out of commission for the time being. That left Smoker, the cyborg, Kin’emon, the cat burglar, the tanuki, and the children. The children simply needed to be returned to the lab. Smoker, the cyborg, and the samurai were the most dangerous men left standing.

“Corazon!” Smoker roared and charged Law once more.

Law braced himself for Smoker’s frontal attack then started when Smoker turned partially to smoke. The jitte came at him from behind; Law dodged but the end of the jitte still slammed into his shoulder. Law immediately felt his strength disappear and his Room drop from the effects of the Seastone tip.

Law hit the ground and rolled away, his strength returning. He pushed back to his feet and immediately threw a Room back up. He cursed himself; he’d shown a weakness his enemies could exploit.

Smoker followed Law, stabbing his jitte again and again. Law dodged as Smoker chased him. Law Shambled a bit farther ahead then whirled around, throwing up a hand. He lifted a finger and a rock pillar erupted from the ground. Smoker’s eyes widened but he dodged. Law lifted one pillar after another until Smoker was right in front of him. Smoker raised his jitte to strike, but Law lifted one more pillar, pulling Smoker up short. With Smoker off-balance, Law used _Mes_ to cut straight through the rock and into Smoker’s chest.

Smoker wheezed as his heart was ejected from his body, and he collapsed against the pillar.

“Smoker-san!” the swordswoman cried.

Law straightened and Shambled the heart into his hand. The heart of a vice admiral could be a good bargaining chip. He pocketed it.

“Is that…” the cat burglar gasped.

“His heart!” the tanuki confirmed, eyes wide.

Law turned back toward the steps, where the remaining figures stood. The samurai put a hand to his sword while the cyborg stepped in front of the group. Law hefted Kikoku but froze at the sound of a familiar voice, that pull in his chest jerking hard enough to steal his breath.

“Oi!” Straw Hat called. “What’s going on?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/caitlin_kelly11) and [Tumblr](https://purplehairedwonder.tumblr.com/).


	8. VII

“Oi!” Straw Hat called. “What’s going on?”

“Luffy!” the cat burglar and tanuki cried in relief.

“Straw Hat,” the mangled parts of the G-5 soldiers groaned.

“Luffy, look,” the long-nosed one said. “It’s the guy from Sabaody.”

“Corazon,” Nico Robin said, immediately taking a defensive posture. “This must be one of Donquixote Doflamingo’s operations if his second is here.”

Straw Hat blinked at Law then smiled widely. “It’s you.”

Law inclined his head. “Straw Hat-ya. I see you made it.”

“He saved me at Marineford,” Straw Hat, still smiling, said to his crew, who exchanged glances.

“Things change, Luffy,” Pirate Hunter Zoro said, hand going to the blades at his hip. “I don’t think he’s here to help us now. He already got the love cook.”

Straw Hat’s gaze went to where Black Leg had fallen, and his expression darkened. “Sanji!”

“He’s alive,” Law said. “For now. I’m afraid I can’t let any of you leave.” This would be more complicated with all of his targets in one place; part of him thought that he should have brought backup after all, but he quickly dismissed it.

“Chopper,” Straw Hat called. “Come look at Sanji.”

The tanuki started to move, and Law lifted Kikoku but suddenly had three swords to parry as Zoro charged him. A distraction. No matter.

Law and Zoro traded blows with their blades until Law lifted a hand and switched Zoro with a snowflake among the amputated parts of the G-5 soldiers. The pirate hunter yelped in surprise before gaping at the moving and talking body parts.

“What the hell kind of power is this?!” he demanded.

“ _Super_ freaky, right?” the cyborg asked. “As long as we’re in this circle, he can do what he wants.”

Law’s lips twitched, but his haki flared and he dodged a shot from the sniper’s slingshot. Law swung Kikoku in his direction, but arms sprouted around the sniper and pulled him out of the slice’s path. Boulders in the distance split in two, and Long Nose gaped like a fish.

Law Shambled out of the way of another blast from the cyborg and had just enough time when he saw the skeleton approaching to swap him with a rock on the other side of his Room. The skeleton sputtered in surprise, but Law ignored him, turning his attention back to the people in front of him. He tried to raise Kikoku again but couldn’t move her. He frowned and looked down to see hands sprouting from the blade. When he looked back up, he met Nico Robin’s gaze. He smirked and Shambled away once more. She was startled enough by the motion to drop her powers.

With a bit of distance between them now, Law surveyed the scene. He was on the defensive and couldn’t keep Shambling around to just avoid the Straw Hats’ attacks; it was taking a toll on his stamina. He was already starting to feel the effects of prolonged and consistent use of his abilities. He needed to get on the offensive and end this.

But the Straw Hats weren’t going to make that easy for him.

He was casting around for something he could use to his advantage when his haki prickled once more. He side-stepped just in time to see a fist fly by his head then return to its owner. When Law looked backed, Straw Hat was eyeing him with a frown.

“I don’t want to fight someone who saved my life,” he said.

“I have orders to get rid of all trespassers,” Law replied. “You and your crew are trespassing, Straw Hat-ya.”

“Shishishi, that’s what pirates do,” Straw Hat replied with a laugh.

“I’m a pirate, too,” Law reminded him. “And pirates also protect what’s theirs.” Or their boss’s, who controlled the fate of their crew. Whichever.

“So, this _is_ Doflamingo’s operation,” Nico Robin mused. “What is he doing here in a place that is supposed to be off-limits to everyone?”

“None of your concern.”

“Luffy,” the cat burglar called. Straw Hat glanced over at her. “They’ve taken kids,” she said, gesturing toward the group behind her and Kin’emon. “We have to help them!”

Straw Hat’s expression darkened, and Nico Robin’s lips quirked. “I think we just made it our concern, Corazon.”

Law shrugged. “So be it.”

He turned toward the G-5 ship that had anchored just in front of the lab—and inside Law’s Room—and lifted a finger. With _Takt_ , the ground began to shake as the ship rose out of the water.

The cat burglar looked around, alarmed. “What’s that noise?”

“Why is everything shaking? Earthquake?” cried the G-5 soldiers.

“T-the ship!” Long Nose yelped.

“Woah, cool!” Straw Hat declared, delighted.

Once the ship was high enough, Law sliced Kikoku through the air, and the ship split into quarters, debris raining down from the sky. Law flicked his fingers, and the debris started flying toward the others. Zoro and Kin’emon jumped in front of the children to cut down boxes and boulders while the cyborg bolted to the tanuki and Black Leg, using his huge body to cover them as the tanuki treated a woozy Black Leg. Straw Hat blew himself up like a bubble—Law raised an eyebrow at that—and bounced the threats off to protect Nico Robin and Long Nose. The skeleton dodged as he made his way back toward his crew, and the G-5 soldiers tried to use one another to shield themselves.

As the debris fell, Law slammed the pieces of the ship against the various rock formations in the area, fusing them together. There would be no escape via ship for the Marines now.

With the ship out of commission, Law turned his attention back to his targets. He planned to use the chaos of the debris to disguise his attack, but when he made to jump into motion, he couldn’t move. He looked down to see hands sprouting of the ground, wrapped around his ankles. When he glanced back up, Nico Robin had her arms crossed in front of her and a knowing smile on her lips.

Then she said something to Straw Hat, and he looked over at the immobile Law. Before Law could think about switching with a piece of debris, Straw Hat had deflated and thrown his arms out directly at Law. He hissed as Straw Hat’s rubber arms wrapped around his chest multiple times, and Kikoku fell from his grip as his own arms were restrained.

“Gotcha!”

His hands were still free, though, so he prepared to Shamble out of Straw Hat’s and Nico Robin’s grips—

His eyes widened and he grunted in pain and surprise as something slammed into his back. The strength leeched from his body and his Room fell around him. The pieces of ship and ocean debris that were still swirling in the air were no longer being directed so crashed into the ground, forcing people to dodge. He glanced behind him and saw Smoker, Seastone-tipped jitte driven into his back above Straw Hat’s rubbery limbs. The vice admiral’s gaze was sharp.

“I want my heart back, pirate,” he growled.

“Zoro!”

Law’s gaze flew back in front of him to see Zoro rushing toward him, and Law was completely helpless. _Shit_.

“Don’t kill him!” Straw Hat called as the pirate hunter neared.

Law tensed as Zoro raised his sword and swung down. There was blinding pain in his temple and then nothing.

* * *

Vergo watched from his hidden perch as the pirate hunter swung his sword and Corazon—no, he would always be little Trafalgar Law, traitor to the Donquixote Family—crumpled. Straw Hat Luffy released his hold on Law, easing him surprisingly gently to the ground. Smoker reached down and searched through Law’s pockets until he found his heart. He straightened and slid it back into his chest. Too bad; that would have been a good way to get rid of Smoker for good. Oh well. There were plenty of hazards on this island Vergo could take advantage of.

With Law’s Room down, the G-5 soldiers started piecing themselves back together with varying degrees of anatomical correctness (they truly were the Marines’ most inept). Captain Tashigi collected herself and joined Vice Admiral Smoker as they looked at the gathering Straw Hats. The tanuki had gotten Black Leg back to his feet, though he was moving with some deliberation. An argument between Smoker and Luffy ensued, seemingly over Law as they both gestured at his unconscious form.

The cat burglar then spoke up, gesturing toward the children behind her. This caught Captain Tashigi’s attention, and she turned an impassioned plea to Smoker, undoubtedly to help the brats. Vergo frowned; he’d gone to a lot of trouble to get Caesar those subjects, so it wouldn’t do for them to be taken away now. Caesar was doing important work for Joker, and those test subjects were necessary.

After some further arguments and discussion, the pirates and Marines split into two groups, with Smoker, Tashigi, and G-5 following the cat burglar, samurai, cyborg, pirate hunter, tanuki, and skeleton inside—likely because Law had taken out the Marine ship so there was no way to get them out without calling for backup. _That_ was something Vergo could work with as the base commander for G-5.

Before she started walking off, Tashigi offered something to Straw Hat Luffy, though the long-nosed sniper ended up taking it. He then bent over and—ah, they were Seastone cuffs. He fastened them around Law’s wrists. So, they weren’t as dumb as they looked after all.

Straw Hat then picked up Law and threw him over his shoulder. The pirate hunter handed Law’s blade over to his captain before joining the group going inside the lab. Nico Robin, Black Leg, and the sniper followed Straw Hat in the opposite direction, likely to their ship.

Vergo found his lips curling upward as he watched Straw Hat Luffy carry an unconscious and powerless Law back toward his ship. Perhaps it was finally time to put the brat in his place.

* * *

The first thing Law felt as consciousness returned was the throbbing in his head. The second was the telltale weakness in his body that came from Seastone. Memories flooded back in, and his eyes flew open. He was staring up at a wooden ceiling rather than a gray, snowy sky. Confused, he glanced down to see he was on a bed, and his wrists were shackled in Seastone cuffs.

That… was not good.

“You’re awake.”

Law started at the voice and looked over to see Nico Robin sitting on a stool across the room. She had a book in hand, but she marked her page and set it on the desk. Law’s gaze slid past her and took in the rest of the room—an infirmary, not a brig.

Nico Robin let him take in his surroundings and waited until his gaze turned back to her.

“Welcome to the _Thousand Sunny_ ,” she said.

Law frowned, but when she made no other move, he sat up slowly, careful of his aching head, and scooted back to lean against the wall. They both knew he was a minimal threat to her in these cuffs.

“Your ship?” Law finally asked when his companion (no, guard) remained silent. He wasn’t sure if this was better or worse than a Marine brig—though he supposed with no little satisfaction the Marine brig was fused to a rock somewhere outside. Either way, his capture was a complication in his mission, which meant it was a danger to his nakama back in Dressrosa. The sooner he took back control of the situation, the sooner he could finish his mission and assure their safety.

She hummed in agreement. “Smoker wanted to arrest you, but Luffy wouldn’t let him.”

Law blinked at that. “Why?”

Not that Law was worried about being arrested; Doffy would never let Smoker take Law in. But it would have been yet another complication in his operation, and Doffy _hated_ complications.

Nico Robin studied him for a long moment, her gaze unsettling—as though she could see through Law. “Isn’t that the question going around today?”

Law narrowed his eyes. What was that supposed to mean?

He opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the infirmary door slamming open. Straw Hat stood in the doorway, and Law’s breath caught, that tug in his chest returning stronger than ever, as if it refused to be ignored. Straw Hat’s eyes traveled around the room, brightening when they landed on Law.

“You’re awake!”

“And apparently a prisoner,” Law replied dryly, gesturing with the cuffs.

Straw Hat’s expression fell. “That’s not—” He stuck his lips out in a pout. “I just wanted to talk. Would you stay if we took them off?”

“Long enough to kill you, then I’d be gone.” Law was here on a mission, after all. He briefly wondered where Kikoku was but decided it didn’t matter; once he got these cuffs off, he’d open a Room and find her.

“Why would you want to kill me?” Straw Hat asked. He didn’t sound worried about Law’s threat, just confused. Nico Robin had risen to her feet during the exchange. Nothing in her posture said she was poised to attack, but Law had a feeling she’d act in an instant if Law showed any sign of threat to her captain. “You _saved_ me two years ago.”

“You know who I work for,” Law replied with a shrug, aiming for casual and in control despite his predicament. “I’m here on his orders.”

“And you’re a loyal soldier, aren’t you, Corazon?” Nico Robin said. “You follow your captain’s orders without question.”

There was enough give in the shackles for Law to cross his arms. He said nothing in reply, though. His actions at Marineford sat heavily on the air among them.

“I heard about your exploits over the last two years,” she continued. “You’ve made quite a name for yourself, Surgeon of Death.”

Law remained silent. He didn’t care about the Demon Child’s judgment or her use of the epithet he had earned. He did what he had to do. Besides, he was a pirate, and he acted like one.

Nico Robin walked over to the door and put a gentle hand on her captain’s shoulder, a softness to her tone that had not been there moments before. “Be careful.”

Straw Hat nodded, and she smiled at him before leaving. She closed the door behind her, leaving Law and Straw Hat alone. Law would have been annoyed at being underestimated like that, but the Seastone rendered him essentially useless.

This boy, Law thought as they regarded one another, was the reason he had made a selfish choice that resulted in Shachi losing his arm. _Why_ had he done that?

What was it about him that tugged on Law’s chest, drawing him into the boy’s orbit?

It couldn’t just be that initial that they shared, a mysterious legacy Cora-san had sacrificed everything to protect Law over. But what was it?

Straw Hat crossed his arms. “I don’t think you want to kill me. Or my crew.”

Law raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” he said. “You might want to ask Black Leg his opinion on that.”

Straw Hat frowned. “Sanji’s okay, though. You didn’t kill him.”

“Only because you interrupted me,” Law drawled.

Straw Hat made a frustrated sound. “No.”

Law blinked. “No?”

“No,” Straw Hat confirmed. “I don’t believe you.” He started pacing, and Law followed his back-and-forth movements with his eyes. “I wanted to thank you. For saving me that time,” Straw Hat said.

“You don’t need to thank me,” Law replied, the same lie falling from his lips that he’d repeated over the last two years: “I acted on a whim, nothing more.”

Straw Hat shook his head. “Jimbei said that you’d be in trouble with that Mingo guy for helping us, and I was worried.” He paused and looked at Law. “Were you? In trouble?”

Law suppressed the urge to touch his throat. “I fail to see how that matters.”

Straw Hat stared at him, seeming to read something in Law’s non-response. “But you helped me anyway. And I’m grateful!” He nodded, as if confirming something to himself. “So, you’re a good guy. No matter what anyone says.”

Law flinched. “No, I’m really not. You should listen to Nico-ya.” His hands were soaked with blood, including that of his own nakama. And if he didn’t complete this cleanup mission, there would be _more_ blood on his hands.

“Nope,” Straw Hat stubbornly decided, as though he knew Law. But if he _actually_ knew him, he wouldn’t want anything to do with Law. He _shouldn’t_ want anything to do with Law. “I can feel it. Right here,” he said, touching his chest.

Law’s breath caught, his protest dying on his tongue. He was touching the same place Law felt the tug in his own chest when Straw Hat came up. Did he…? Did he feel it too? Whatever it was?

Straw Hat suddenly flopped down onto the end of the mattress, bouncing Law slightly. Law grimaced as his head protested.

Straw Hat looked over at Law curiously. “What kind of name is Coradone anyway?”

“Corazon,” Law snapped, still feeling a bit off kilter. “And it’s not my name. It’s a title.”

Straw Hat perked up. “Really? Then what’s your real name?”

Law looked away. “It doesn’t matter. I haven’t gone by my name in years. No one uses it.”

Though Law wasn’t looking at him, he could hear the frown in Straw Hat’s voice. “That sounds lonely.”

Law blinked in surprise. There was something to what Straw Hat was saying. Though the Family treated becoming an executive and earning the title as the highest honor one could achieve, Law had learned over the last six years that it also acted to dehumanize the wearer of the title. Law was no longer _Law;_ he was Corazon, the second in command of the Donquixote Pirates. He was defined entirely by his station in the Family. Though Law had been with the Family for over a decade, he didn’t know the real names of the other three executives—their identities _were_ their titles.

(The irony of Law continuing to remember Rosinante as Cora-san, a diminutive of his title when he’d been undercover, was not lost on him.)

“Anyway!” Straw Hat said cheerfully, letting Law’s silence be response enough, “Smokey wanted to arrest you, but I wouldn’t let him. But while the Marines are here, you should probably stay out of sight, especially after what you did to their ship. That was _so cool,_ by the way! Sanji’ll get you food,” he added, as if that was the most important detail.

Law looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. “So, I’m your prisoner, Straw Hat-ya?”

Straw Hat shrugged apologetically. “I mean, I’d take the cuffs off, but—”

Law smirked. “You don’t want me to kill your crew.”

“Not that I’d let you,” he said, smile turning cheeky.

Law couldn’t help a small laugh. “You think you’re stronger than me?”

“I did beat you,” Straw Hat pointed out.

“That was four-on-one,” Law reminded him. And Law had only gone down when Smoker had surprised him with the Seastone.

Straw Hat’s smile widened. “Let’s find out sometime.” He jumped up off the mattress. “I need to check on my nakama, but I’ll be back.” He crossed the small room and opened the infirmary door.

“Trafalgar.” Straw Hat paused and looked back at him curiously. Law hadn’t realized he’d spoken until Straw Hat had frozen. “Trafalgar Law,” he said again, unsure of why he was telling Straw Hat. “That’s my name.”

Straw Hat’s face lit up into a blinding grin, and Law’s chest tightened. “I like it. Trafal— Tragal— Torao! I like it, Torao!” he beamed before heading out and shutting the door behind him.

Law was in so much trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/caitlin_kelly11) and [Tumblr](https://purplehairedwonder.tumblr.com/).


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